Snowshoe Hiking in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

From staff reports

Park Rangers say “Let it snow!” so you can explore Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on snowshoes this winter. Join the rangers for a guided snowshoe hike this holiday season and every Saturday throughout the winter. The first hike of the season will be on Saturday, Dec. 28 at 1 p.m. Then, snowshoe hikes will be offered every Saturday at 1 p.m. through the end of February. Meet at the National Lakeshore Visitor Center in Empire. If you don’t have your own, snowshoes will be loaned at no charge. Participants need only purchase the park entrance pass or have an annual pass to join in the fun. Reservations are required whether you need to borrow snowshoes or have your own. Ranger-led snowshoe hikes are limited to 30 participants. Please call (231) 326-5134, extension 328, for details and to make reservations.

Snowshoe hikes are fun for all ages. Inside the Visitor Center, rangers will first provide basic snowshoeing instructions and then everyone will travel by car to the trailhead or area of the National Lakeshore pre-selected for that day. Once there, the ranger will help participants learn about the park’s unique features and winter’s effect on them by exploring and discovering clues on site. Be prepared and plan to be outside until about 3 p.m. Dress in layers and wear waterproof boots to be most comfortable.

Not only is snowshoeing easy, fun, and good exercise, it is also an activity that can be enjoyed by all ages. The ranger-led hikes are mildly strenuous, yet they proceed at a leisurely pace for only one and a half miles at the most.

For more in-depth information about the National Lakeshore, please visit www.nps.gov/slbe.