Sleeping Bear Dunes Trail Trekker Challenge checks all the boxes

Photo: Abby’s daughter, Amy, the youngest known Sleeping Bear Trail Trekker, during a winter hike on Alligator Hill.

By Abby Chatfield

Sun contributor

Although Leelanau County is fortunate to have a national lakeshore to step into with such little effort, it is easy for residents to forget that the park is 35 miles long and spans two counties. We get stuck in our bubbles and forget to explore other angles and ends. As a new year begins, consider stepping out of a routine, working on a New Years resolution, or getting to know the area better by taking on the Trail Trekker Challenge in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

In 2011, two Glen Lake Area High School students, Lena Cruz and Bonnie Ricord, put the challenge together with help from their mentor, Lisa Myers, former Sleeping Bear Chief of Interpretation. The challenge charges participants with taking on all 13 official mainland trails in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore within one year from their chosen start date. Those who accomplish the goal earn the status of “thru-hiker,” get their name listed on the park’s website, and receive a small prize.

I first learned about the Trail Trekker Challenge a couple of years after it was created. I didn’t commit to doing it until January 2020, two months after giving birth to my daughter. Not only am I motivated by fun challenges, but I figured it would be an enjoyable way to get back into shape after pregnancy.

I glazed over my park memories and blanketly assumed I’d already hiked the majority of park trails. I was just looking forward to recording it and officially meeting the challenge. I was surprised to find out that several of the trails were completely new to me, a long-time resident of this area and avid hiker. How could I have missed them after all these years?

Then it occurred to me that we all have our favorite trails, the convenient trails, the trails that quench that spur-of-the-moment desire to hike. I grew up near the northern terminus of the park and still felt unconsciously drawn to the central and northern zones. I had my own go-to trails that didn’t take any thought and were easy to meet up with friends. Pyramid Point and Good Harbor Trail were convenient visits several times a year. Alligator Hill, The Dunes, and Empire Bluffs were also regular visits because of their locations and popularity. How I could miss so many other trails that were right here, ripe for hiking? My excitement grew thinking about the many places left to explore in our local area, places I had never seen before.

Laurie Sears, a 2021 thru-hiker who finished the challenge with her husband, Bill Sears, was also surprised to find how many trails she hadn’t hiked yet. She was inspired by many novel experiences such as hiking up Empire Bluff on the first day of spring, Indian Trail during the fall color season, and Platte Plains during a heavy, wet snowfall. Wandering outdoors has a way of remaining tangible in memories.

Since the challenge began 10 years ago, only 286 people have registered with the park service as thru-hikers. 2015 produced the highest number on record with 52 people officially claiming to have completed their thru-hike. Just one year earlier, 2014 produced the lowest number of thru-hikers.

Kit and Jim Wysor were two of only 29 people to complete a thru-hike in 2016. The couple loves to hike, but hadn’t moved to the area permanently yet and wanted to get to know the national lakeshore better. Kit was surprised by how many trails there are in the park. She and Jim share the same sentiment about their favorite trail, Alligator Hill. “It offers a lot of variety and views of both lakes. We only got lost once,” Jim laughed. Kit felt encouraged by observing that nature was bringing back the hillside, damaged by windshear just a year prior.

Nayt Boyt, also a 2016 thru-hiker, has hiked in Sleeping Bear since he was a kid, so many of the trails were common visits for him. “However, the process of logging the hike on the Trail Trekker sheet kept the process very intentional. I also did the challenge with a friend, and it served as a guide, so we didn’t have to argue about where to hike next. We also made it out to the Manitou islands that same year.”

When Ricord and Cruz created the challenge, their goal was to inspire people to exercise and explore places within the National Lakeshore beyond the famous Dune Climb, Ricord said in a 2016 interview for Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau blog.

The National Park Service’s website invites visitors to try the Trail Trekker Challenge, claiming it is worthwhile to explore the landscape of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, exercise, and have fun all at the same time. It goes on to say that ‘hiking is a great way to get daily physical exercise and promote health while also discovering the beauty of the area.’

All of that and more, the Trail Trekker Challenge is an inclusive and versatile endeavor available to anyone who can walk off of paved surfaces.

It is an inclusive challenge that offers a range of mileage instead of maximum trail mileage to successfully complete it. It also permits other types of human-propelled movement beyond hiking such as skiing, biking, jogging, snowshoeing, and horse riding. Technically, according to this challenge, a thru-hiker doesn’t need to be a hiker or have hiked every mile of every trail.

“Thru-hiker” traditionally refers to a hiker who completes an entire trail from one end to the other. The Trail Trekker Challenge is unique because it is set up to offer a range of mileage considered acceptable for each hike to count. For example, the challenge counts the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, its actual length 20 miles, if a hiker completes only 4.25 miles. The result is that a thru-hiker is considered anyone who has moved by means of their own energy to complete a range of mileage along 13 trails within one year from start date.

Not having to follow the annual calendar to participate is helpful to people who don’t want to wait for a new year to start and those who don’t live in the area year-round. Some people are limited to vacation-length visits and need more than one summer to find enough time to hike all trails. This flexibility allows a wider range of people the opportunity to become thru-hikers.

Hiking your own hike is at the heart of the Trail Trekker Challenge. Whether a purist who hikes every foot of every trail or someone who bases success on general experience, those who follow this mantra will likely enjoy every step.

Carl and Shirley Garthe, 2021 thru-hikers, took the purist route beginning in January and finishing by April. Shirley had just turned 60 and Carl was recovering from a medical issue that affected his ability to walk. They love spending time together, hiking, and getting out during the winter. The hiking kept Carl’s legs strong and inspired them both. The couple was especially struck by an experience watching the sunset and full moon rise from Sleeping Bear Point, their favorite trail.

It is a versatile challenge, achievable in a variety of ways that morph into a totally new adventure with each attempt. You set your goals—all this challenge requires is that you hike, bike, and/or ski a minimum number of miles along the 13 official mainland trails. You might decide to hike it as a family with the requirement you hike every trail together, to hike all trails in one season, to solo hike all trails, or to hike with a different friend on every trail. The options are endless for new challenges every year. From 2012 to 2021, 15 thru-hikers have succeeded in completing two or more thru-hikes, the majority accomplishing two thru-hikes and the record of four thru-hikes set independently by two women.

Most importantly, feel a sense of accomplishment, get to really know your local landscapes better, and grow your inspiration to learn more about your local park. Work toward your New Years resolution to get in shape, get outside more often, or find a new hobby. The Trail Trekker Challenge checks all those boxes.

My daughter and I succeeded in meeting the challenge, and our names were added to the list of 2020 thru-hikers on the park’s website. My daughter was 14 months old when we finished, and a ranger unofficially verified that she is the youngest known person to become a Sleeping Bear Trail Trekker. It took us an entire year, but we did it, and I feel a sense of accomplishment that is somehow very personally satisfying. Maybe next time, we will reimagine the adventure and choose a new way to approach it. The options are endless, as are the surprises found along the trail.

Tips for success:

Cottonwood Trail is the only trail closed during winter. Make sure to hike it between Memorial Day and the end of September to ensure you don’t miss the opportunity to cross it off your list.

Hiking trails along dunes are marked by blue-tipped posts.

Thru-hiker Laurie Sears suggests hiking clockwise on Sleeping Bear Point Trail for best water views.

Lead Education Ranger Emily Sunblade suggests hiking popular trails in off-season for a more serene experience. She shares that hitting the trail earlier or later in the day is another way to avoid crowds.

Copies of the Trail Trekker Challenge logbook are available for free at the visitor center in Empire or by download from the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes website.