Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is commemorating its 50th anniversary throughout 2020. The next special event is a “Spring Break Escape — National Parks Film Festival” held over four dates in March.
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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore continues its 50th anniversary activities with a snowshoe and/or cross-country ski on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Dune Climb. Join park rangers and volunteers from the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes and experience the park after dark as you snowshoe or ski along the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail under the full moon.
There’s a park party and you are invited! The National Lakeshore’s 50th anniversary activities begin with a kick-off celebration on Saturday, January 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dune Climb.
The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and surrounding communities are suffering growing pains as we’ve become a prime destination for tourists from all over the world. Conscious of these growing pains, a new group called the Sleeping Bear Gateways Council is stepping forward to facilitate dialogue between the National Lakeshore, local business leaders and civic leaders.
On Monday, Aug. 19, the National Park Service (NPS) welcomed the 50 millionth visitor to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Deputy Superintendent Tom Ulrich greeted Meghan Boertman and her family of Norton Shores, Mich., with enthusiasm and gifts, at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire. Ulrich announced the occasion to a full visitor center, and park rangers and the rest of the visitors applauded as Meghan and her family walked through the door.
Take advantage of the very young moon to relax under the stars, view distant celestial objects, observe Jupiter, Saturn and the summer Milky Way at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Join park rangers and astronomers from the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society (GTAS) on Saturday, Aug. 31 (Labor Day weekend), at the Dune Climb.
Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation (TART) Trails, Inc. is a proud partner of the eighth annual Dune Dash, a 4-mile run/walk along the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail (SBHT) on Saturday, August 17, at 9 am at the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb. The course highlights the trail within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Registration is open at www.DuneDash.com and ranges from $25-$35 per person based on age. Prices will increase on August 15.
For visitors looking for something to do beyond the dunes in the National Lakeshore, they might consider having fun in the cultural areas of the park. Historic Sleeping Bear, an official partner of the National Lakeshore offers summer activities for the family at the Port Oneida Farms Heritage Center/Olsen Farm 4 miles north of Glen Arbor, located on the Heritage Trail.
Bumpus and their powerful brand of soul music will rock the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb at the next Manitou Music series concert on Sunday, July 14, at 7 pm.
Fast Tourism, a global digital tourism company, has launched a new app that guides visitors on an efficient, if not frenetic, one-hour tour of the Sleeping Bear Dunes region and Leelanau County. Users are encouraged to maximize their “up north” experience by visiting as many destinations as possible in a short amount of time.