Sleeping Bear Dunes hosts Saturday Winter Programs at the Lakeshore

From staff reports

From now until March 16, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will host weekly programs on Saturdays.

Programs on Saturday, Jan. 20, featured Anishinaabe historian Eric Hemenway. In the morning, he lead a guided hike focused on survival strategies and traditional Anishinaabe activities during the season of biboon (winter). In the afternoon at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center, Hemenway also shared about traditional Anishinaabe art.

Each Saturday, from January through March 16, will feature at least one guided hike, exploring different winter themes. Saturdays will also feature other winter-themed activities, such as games and crafts, which are welcome to anyone of all ages.

For descriptions of each program, along with specific information on start times, locations, and topics, please visit the program calendar. Saturday programs will take place regardless of weather, though weather conditions may impact the location of some activities. Interested participants should review the calendar details on the day of the event for any important updates.

Reservations are only required for the morning ranger-led hikes. To make a reservation, please call 231-326-4700, extension 5010. If you need to cancel your reservation, please contact the National Lakeshore so that visitors on the waiting list can be informed and take part in the hike. If there is enough snow, these hikes will become snowshoe hikes. Snowshoes will be loaned at no charge to participants that do not have their own. The National Lakeshore has both traditional and modern snowshoes available.

All programs will be free with a park entrance pass or annual pass, which must be displayed in your vehicle. Park passes can be purchased at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire, which is open daily between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.