Sleeping Bear Dunes open to public during government shutdown

All official Park programs, including guided weekend snowshoe hikes, have been cancelled during the federal government shutdown.

From staff reports

During the shutdown of the federal government due to the lapse of appropriations, national parks will remain as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures. At Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, park trails and open-air facilities, such as the Dune Climb, will remain accessible to visitors, but emergency and rescue services will be limited. The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes may continue to groom the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.

There will be no NPS-provided visitor services at Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, including public information, restrooms, trash collection, and facilities and roads maintenance, including trailhead plowing. All park programs have been canceled, including snowshoe hikes scheduled for the weekend and for school groups. Because of the federal government shutdown, NPS social media and websites are not being monitored or updated and may not reflect current conditions.

The NPS will not be providing services for NPS-operated campgrounds, including maintenance, janitorial, bathrooms, showers, check-in/check-out, and reservations. However, visitors in NPS-operated campgrounds will not be asked to leave unless safety concerns require such action. Visitors holding campground reservations should be aware that there is no guarantee their reserved campsite will be ready and available should they arrive during a government shutdown.

For updates on the shutdown, please visit www.doi.gov/shutdown.