Within the next few weeks, the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail will officially open its third leg, which stretches roughly from the Crystal River dam (on County Road 675, 1.5 miles east of Glen Arbor) up to the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. That 3.4-mile stretch will make the popular Heritage Trail nearly 13 miles long.
The newest section of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail (SBHT) from Fisher Road to Port Oneida Road opened today, Friday May 22 at 3 p.m., ahead of schedule and just in time for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The news came in the form of a press release from TART Trails outreach and program director Brian Beauchamp.
Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes’ Kerry Kelly reports that the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail enjoys its best ski conditions of the 2014-15 season, following a grooming on Feb. 4. About three inches of new snow had fallen over the last couple of days and the groomer crew was out on the trail with the roller to build more base.
Join Friends of Sleeping Bear for the second annual Sleepy Bear Twilight Ride on Sunday, Aug. 10. This family-friendly bike ride on the newly expanded Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail offers something for everyone. Choose to Beat the Bear for a challenging ride from the Dune Climb to Empire and back, or Chase the Cub for a relaxing, easy ride to Glen Arbor. Some ambitious hearty riders might decide to do both. Whatever you decide, there will be food and refreshments at the Dune Climb provided by Cherry Republic.
BATA’s “Bike-n-Ride” program, which allows cyclists to pedal paved trails one way and ride the bus back in Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties, is in its second season this summer—and it’s growing. Due to its popularity and demand for more service, a new Loop route has been added as well as additional weeks of service.
Cedar’s Polka Fest isn’t the only Polish attraction in these woods. The Duneswood Resort along M-109, and right on the popular new leg of the Sleeping Hear Heritage Trail, is a hit with Poles from Detroit and Chicago, and even Warsaw and Krakow. Owner Debbie Rettke began displaying a Polish flag along M-109 last summer because she had employees from the central European nation. Lo and behold, people began pulling off the road to ask her (she recalled in a pronounced Polish accent), “What do you have my flag here for?”
Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail partners are inviting the public to help celebrate the opening of the newest segment of the Heritage Trail during a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 2, at the Dune Climb of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Dune Climb to Empire segment more than doubles the miles of trail completed, bringing the total to 9.5 miles. In addition, the newly installed donor recognition plaza will also be unveiled, which recognizes donors of $1,000 or more.
Glen Arbor Sun editor Jacob Wheeler took a spin Thursday evening on the newly completed Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail section between the Dune Climb and Empire. It’s a beautiful, hilly ride! Along the way, he interviewed Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Deputy Superintendent Tom Ulrich and Duneswood Resort owner Debbie Rettke, about how this leg of the trail differs from the Dune Climb-to-Glen Arbor leg, what the expanded trail means for the National Park, and for local biking in general, and how folks have reacted to it so far. Check out this video.
The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail’s 5.5-mile expansion from the Dune Climb to Empire is complete. This urban hipster from Chicago enjoyed the trail on June 8.
Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes and Sleeping Bear Dunes National will host a kickoff meeting for Trail Ambassador volunteers on the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail Saturday, June 7 at 1 p.m. in the DH Day Log Cabin in DH Day Campground. Please park at Glen Haven and ride your bike or walk the trail to the cabin.