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Biking through history with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear

Biking’s booming popularity, along with record-setting National Parks visitation over the past several years, is creating new ways to love our natural and historic treasures. Adding to these trends is a need to be outside while social distancing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And with the 22-mile long, motorless Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail traversing Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Susan Pocklington of Empire came up with a great idea. “People want to bike in the park,” said Pocklington, executive director of Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear (PHSB). “They ride past an old house or barn, and wonder about it. Why not learn about the history you’re riding through?”

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Sleeping Bear visitation down in July, but still on track for record-setting pace in 2021

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore attracted 481,137 visitors in July, which is more than 110,000 fewer than July 2020, when the Park drew 592,404 guests—a single-month record. Nevertheless, Sleeping Bear remains on pace for a record year in 2021. Visitation figures are still 6.96 percent ahead of last year at this time.

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Park holds Port Oneida Sampler instead of Fair

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has canceled the Port Oneida Fair this year (it was also canceled in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Instead, the Park invites the public to a Port Oneida Sampler, which will be held on four consecutive Wednesday afternoons in August. On each day, one of the Port Oneida farms will open a barn or house for one-way traffic and tours and may have a demonstrator on site.

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Estate sale held at former Rich Quick property in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

An estate sale is planned for Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, May 29-30 from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., at the former home of Rich Quick on Alligator Hill, overlooking Sleeping Bear Bay in the National Lakeshore. The address of the home is 8317 West Sky Line Drive, Empire. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Joshua Humphrey, 19 years old and the grandson of Quick’s late wife Bonnie. He will vacate the property next week as it passes into the hands of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Tuesday, June 1.

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Through first four months, Sleeping Bear Dunes on pace for another record

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore attracted a whopping 126,797 visitors during the first four months of 2021, which have typically been a quiet time for tourists in Leelanau and Benzie counties. By comparison, the Park received 93,729 visitors between January-April of 2020. That early number suggests another record-breaking year for visitation to the National Lakeshore. Sleeping Bear drew more than 1.7 million visitors for the first time in 2020, as Americans flocked to rural national parks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Earth Day 2021: This Year It’s Really about the Whole Earth

With growing scientific confirmation of accelerating global climate change, Earth Day 2021 is more than just another Earth Day. For the first time, an American president will host an international climate summit on Earth Day to “reset” domestic and international strategies to combat alarming climate trends. While global issues will headline Earth Day events, individuals can show their stewardship in a number of ways this spring. Click here to learn how the Leelanau Conservancy, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak are observing Earth Day 2021.

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Through first quarter, Sleeping Bear Dunes on pace for another record-breaking year

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore attracted a whopping 86,944 visitors during the first three months of 2021. That early number suggests another record-breaking year for visitation to the National Lakeshore.

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Sleeping Bear Gateways Council offers update on workforce housing study at virtual town hall

The Sleeping Bear Gateways Council—a citizen group that works to engage local elected leaders, businesses and citizens to discuss the benefits and challenges presented by a growing visitor population to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore—will hold a second virtual town hall today to present and discuss the results of its Seasonal Workforce Housing project.

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National Park Service issues letter of intent to lease historic Sleeping Bear Inn and Garage

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore announced today that The National Park Service issued a letter of intent on November 5 for the development of a lease for the historic Sleeping Bear Inn and Garage in Glen Haven to Balancing Environment and Rehabilitation (BEAR). BEAR formed in 2018 as a nonprofit dedicated to keeping the history and heritage of Glen Haven sustainable.

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Sleeping Bear Dunes tops 1.7 million visitors for first time

The final numbers are in. The number of people who visited Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 2020 was 1,718,696. This is the first time that visitation has topped 1.7 million.

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