Sleeping Bear Point

This hike takes you through the native dune grasses of the dunes near Sleeping Bear Point with access to Lake Michigan. You get great views of Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands beyond the Dunes. Hikers also get easy access to the Lake Michigan beach from this trail.

piping plovers are often spotted on these beaches in the summer, please keep dogs off the beach

Most of the trail is through dunes and soft sand. If hiking the trail counter-clockwise, the trail begins in soft sand and a significant incline. The trail continues through the dunes and ghost forest on soft sand. Near the return to the trailhead, the trail becomes packed earth, but it is relatively narrow and has some steep inclines.

Difficulty: This trail is strenuous in the dunes section of the trail, but there are some fabulous views of Lake Michigan, dunes, and the Manitou Islands that make the effort worthwhile. Hikers can get a good view of the Lake without walking through sand if they hike the trail clock-wise.