Inside the Visitor Center, Park 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 Park 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 3:00 p.m.  Dress in layers and wear waterproof boots to be most comfortable.

Snowshoeing on Pierce Stocking Drive

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

Since the National Park Service has a supply of snowshoes for use within the National Lakeshore, participants need only purchase the park entrance pass or have an annual pass to join in the fun.  Reservations are required.  Park Ranger-led snowshoe hikes are limited to 30 participants.

For more information, please call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134, extension 328, for details and to make reservations or visit the Park website at www.nps.gov/slbe.

The shipwrecks of the Manitou Passage have attracted underwater explorers for decades.  Today, the underwater photography of these explorers allows landsmen to visit the shipwrecks from the comfort of a warm, dry chair.  Join Park Rangers as diver/historian Ross Richardson helps us explore some of the shipwrecks of Sleeping Bear Point and unravel some of the mysteries they hold.  He has spent the last decade searching for, and documenting, shipwrecks off the coast of west Michigan.  Richardson is credited with discovering the location of the legendary steamer Westmoreland, which sank south of Sleeping Bear Point in 1854.

Ross Richardson diving a shipwreck

Offshore of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore lies the Manitou Passage.  Although this 36-mile long waterway offers some protection from the open waters of Lake Michigan, even the waters of the passage can be treacherous.  Many ships seeking shelter sank in this passage, hitting shoals and sandbars and running aground before being destroyed by the waves of Lake Michigan.  There are 16 known shipwrecks in the passage and around the Manitou Islands, but there may be as many as 45 wrecks still undiscovered on the bottom.  Many wrecks are well-preserved and offer clues on how they surrendered to the strength of the big lake in the days before advanced navigation when ships relied on basic tools like a compass, clock, and chart.  Please join us for this glimpse into the pre-railroad era when shipping on the Great Lakes provided the means for westward expansion to the upper Midwest.  There is still much to discover!

The Alliance for the Great Lakes worked with our Adopt-A-Beach program and the Coast Guard to identify the source and find ways to keep this from happening in the future. Finally in November, 2011 the source of the problem was confirmed: flooding caused overflow in the storm sewer system in the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District resulting in raw sewage and trash being washed into Lake Michigan. The currents in the lake and westerly winds eventually resulted in the trash being washed up on our beautiful Lake Michigan beaches. Read more about the study on the web site for the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Installing the Roof on the Aloha

The latest repair was the installation of a new roof to protect the inside from rain and the summer sun. The roof is on two levels: the bow and the higher rear cabin. Each of these is covered by a single sheet of white rubber membrane attached with adhesive and fastened around the edges.  For the winter, the tug has been shrink-wrapped for added protection from the winter weather.

More work has to be done  to complete the restoration. A new paint job – outside and inside will be done next year along with some detail work inside the boat. The engine also needs a little repair work and painting, so if you are interested in helping finish this project, contact us.

Aloha Wrapped for the Winter

Kerry Kelly working on the web site

This site will be updated on a much more frequent basis. You can expect to see news stories at least each week – more frequently in the summer, so come back often. If you want to be kept up to date with news about Sleeping Bear Dunes, sign up for our e-mail newsletter by clicking the button on the right.

I am looking forward to hearing from you. Many of our pages and posts offer opportunities for you to add your own comments to our site. Let me know if there is anything that you would like to have us add to the site. You can Contact Us in a number of ways – or just add a comment on the site. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is your park, we invite you to get involved. Pass the word to your friends and family. We are also on Facebook and Flickr – just click the buttons on the right to go there.

Wildflower lovers, check out our online Wildflower Database. You will find an extensive listing of flowers and indices based on color of the flower. It is a helpful tool to identify flowers you find on your hike in the Dunes or forests in the Park. Click on the button on the right to get to the database.

For History enthusiasts, check out some of our history info by clicking the button to the right. More historical information – especially related to the Port Oneida Rural Historic District – will be added over the next few months.

Click on the thumbnail pictures below to see the larger versions.

Before radio communications were used at sea, ships could not call for help.  Spotting a vessel in distress from the shore was the only way rescue crews knew that their assistance was needed.  The beach patrol was one essential part of an LSS surfman’s duties.  Following a more in-depth explanation of the patrol process and some local shipwreck stories told from inside the station, the public will accompany National Park Service Rangers for a lantern-lit hike along the beach.  There are always a few surprises along the way and everyone should carry a flashlight for safety.  Wind and rain will only make the patrol more authentic, so be ready for any weather!

Surfman finds life preserver on beach

Unlike the original surfmen, hikers may turn back at any time during the one-hour, one mile roundtrip beach walk and return to the Maritime Museum.  There, they will be welcomed by a volunteer and find shelter, warmth and a chance to see how the Life-Saving Service surfmen once lived in the restored crew’s quarters.  The entire program lasts about two hours.