DH Day Campground to adopt reservation system

Photo on the evening of July 28 by Leelanau District Ranger Andy Blake

From staff reports

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will institute an online reservation system on Jan.1, 2019, for camping at DH Day Campground, located on M-109 between Glen Arbor and Glen Haven. DH Day, a popular draw each summer, currently operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. That has had the unintended and sometimes chaotic consequence of encouraging visitors to camp overnight on the entrance road to the campground, cook meals in their cars or illegally sleep on the beach as they wait to get a spot at DH Day the following morning. This summer, National Park officials have observed lines of cars stretching onto M-109. Some visitors leave their cars in line and go stay at a hotel before returning the following morning.

“Our Platte River campground is already reservation-based,” said Sleeping Bear superintendent Scott Tucker. “The system works much better if you have reservations.”