Sleeping Bear Dunes

A Masterpiece of Ice, Wind, and Water CONTINENTAL ICE SHEET Gre,;i r ( Sleeping Bear Dunes. "+ ~..,. Lake Michigan What encouraged you to come to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore? The dunes? The lake? The forests? The wilderness? You may not have thought about it, but it was ice. Heavy, powerful, and up to a mile thick, glaciers advanced from the north over two million years ago. Creeping along like bulldozers, they moved rock and soil, gouging, carving, deepening, and widening existing drainages and rivers. Around 14,000 years ago temperatures warmed and the glaciers started to melt. The glaciers retreated, leaving behind ridges, glacial --- Jee Each\ inter nature's ice sculpturesremind us of the continental ice sheets,,,.t,ich formed the Great Lakesand other features of Sleeping Bear Dunesr a 1onalLal<eshore. Wind Dune grassroots hold the sand in place,stabilizing ard protecting the dune habitat for o her specieswho live here. Hep protect the fragile dunes bys aying on designated trails. Water kettles, moraines, and other glacial landforms. The meltwater filled in the holes, creating the Great Lakes, smaller lakes, and wetlands. that stretches along western Michigan, the largest freshwater dune system in the world. The tallest and most spectacular are perched dunes-piles of sand blown on top of glacial moraines (plateaus of rock and sand debris), left by retreating glaciers. lower beach and falling or de-perched dunes are also found here. Currents carried sediment, building sandbars-some so wide they created inland lakes, like Glen and Platte lakes. Since that time, westerly winds, water, and weather continue to impact the land. Sometimes the change is gradual, but occasionally, storms transform the landscape in a matter of hours. The dunes are the most prominent feature here and are most affected by winds blowing across Lake Michigan. They are part of a dune system Wave action and currents continually shapeLake Michigan. From day to day and year to year, nature is constantly sculpting, molding, and reshaping this masterpiece of ice, wind, and water. What will the next change be? Waves and currents refine the lakeshore you see today. The water level has changed many times since the glaciers retreated. Waves eroded the jutting headlands and bays. Diverse Natural Communities Red-tailed hawk O KW SCOTTPHOTOGRAPHY The view from PierceStocking ScenicDrive of North Bar Lake,Empire Bluff, and Platte River Point showswaters, beaches,dunes, and forests. The dunes are, perhaps, the best known and most visited habitat within the lakeshore. However, other complex habitats-northern hardwood, pine, and boreal forests; interdunal wetlands, bogs and fens; 26 inland lakes; and several rivers and streams-are home to a wide variety of fragile plant and animal communities that are continually shaped by natural processes. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore preserves 71,000 acres of natural habitat. Management includes monitoring, research, and restoration efforts to help maintain the complex and delicate web of life. Waters in the park, including Lake Michigan, inland lakes, and streams are designated as "Outstanding State Water Resources." They support diverse, highquality aquatic communities, including warm- and coldwater fisheries, many amphibian species, and a variety of aquatic life. Piping plover with eggs Pitcher'sthistle Winter in the forest Beaches occur where water meets land, extending from the water's edge to the reach of the highest storm wave. They are an important foraging habitat for many shorebirds, as well as nesting habitat for piping plovers, endangered due to habitat loss, predation, and disturbance of nesting sites. Help us protect these vulnerable birds by keeping dogs on a leash and obeying all closure signs. Dunes along Lake Michigan are ecologically unique and support a diversity of plants and wildlife. Within the Lakeshore, the process of dune formation, stabilization, and movement continues largely uninterrupted along 65 miles of shoreline. Forests here are mostly secondary growth and are of a scale and quality rare on the Great Lakes shoreline. A small stand of old-growth cedars (400500 years old) remains on South Manitou Island. The diverse forests support a variety of wildlife. Pitcher's thistl is a threatened dune plant that is globally rare, but commonly seen here due ·to large areas of preserved dune habitat. Home, Hardships, and Heroes You have to go out, but you don't have to come back. -motto, US Life-Saving Service ~ --,,,,, ___ ---....,....,_ _ _.,.._·.....,.~ Bufka Farmat Port Oneida Following the retreat of the last glaciers, prehistoric people were active in the area. They lived in seasonal camps fishing, gathering, hunting, and trapping. The Anishinaabe people were living here when Europeans arrived in the mid-1600s. In the early to mid1800s, Europeans settled on the Manitou islands and later moved to the mainland. Visit Port Oneida Rural Historic District and Glen Haven to step back in time. These once thriving communities are a testament to the hardworking immigrant families who chose this rugged land a their home. Imagine their struggles and hardships, and marvel at their resourcefulness. Life here was hard. Would you have been up to the challenge? Steamshipat dock Farmlife program Glen Haven played a role in three of Northern Michigan's economic eraslumbering, agriculture, and tourism. A stop for ships to take on fuel wood, it provided food, lodging, and services to travelers along Lake Michigan. Its economic evolution can be traced to visionary businessman David Henry Day, who pioneered sustainable forestry, helped introduce fruit orchards, and brought tourism to the area. Today, you can tour the fruit cannery (now a boat museum), general store, and blacksmith shop. Port Oneida, settled predominantly Treacherous Passage The Manitou by German and Prussian immigrants, was a Passage, a 36-rt1ile-long waterway between the mainland and Manitou islands, is a lumbering, farming, and port community. main shipping lane through Lake Michigan. In the 1860s Thomas Kelderhouse built a dock and sawmill, harvesting forests to sell It provides one of the few sheltered bays as fuel to the steamships traveling across between the Straits of Mackinac and Lake Michigan. By the 1890s the forests Chicago but hides dangerous shoals and were cleared, and the dock and mill were sandbars. Before modern navigational aids, stranded and wrecked ships were common closed. Poor soil conditions forced some residents to move to support their famihere, leading to the construction of the lies. Today the Port Oneida Rural Historic South Manitou Lighthouse (1839), North District is the nation's largest publicly Manitou Lighthouse (1896), and North owned historic agricultural landscape. Manitou Shoal Light (1935). South Manitou Lighthouse Surfboat and crew US Life-Saving Service tn 1871 Congress created the US Life-Saving Service (USLSS).Stations were built on North and South Manitou islands and Sleeping Bear Point. From 1871 to 1915 courageous surfmen and keepers rescued over 178,000 people from shipwrecks. In 1915 the USLSSmerged with the US Revenue Cutter Service, forming the US Coast Guard. Visit the Sleeping Bear Point US Life-Saving Service Station Maritime Museum, just west of Glen Haven, to find out more. Exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes Sleeping Bear Dunes is a perfect blend of dunes, beaches, and forests. Stop at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire, Michigan, for information, exhibits, park video, bookstore, and Junior Ranger programs. Open daily except Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1; hours vary seasonally. ' 1001ft 305m Popular activities include exploring the stops along the 7.4-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, climbing the Dune Climb, hiking or biking through the woods, and swimming in the clear waters. For activities and programs, pick up the free park vi itors guide at the visitor center or ranger stations, or visit www.nps.gov/slbe. VesselPoim NORTH MANITOU IS LAND (No services) For a Safe Visit LAKE Watch out for poison ivy. Avoid its three leaflets, stems, berries, and roots; all can cause a severe reaction. • Check often for ticks and remove promptly. • Conditions on Lake Michigan can change rapidly and become hazardous. Boaters should monitoi" weather reports, carry safety gedr, navigation charts, and extra fuel. • Swimmers should be aware of rip current conditions. • Stay off steep and snow-covered dunes. • Climbing is recommended only at the Dune Climb. Regulations Drive only on established roads. • Keep pets on a leash. They are permitted on hiking trails April 1 through November 30. Pets are not allowed at North Bar Lake, on the Manitou islands, in backcountry campgrounds, on the Dune Climb, or on some swimming beaches. • Fires are permitted only in fire rings and picnic fireplaces. • Beach fires are restricted to bare sand between the water and the first dune; fires on Manitou islands are permitted only in fire rings in designated campgrounds. • You may pick mushrooms and fruit for personal, noncommercial use. • Bicycles must stay on roads or the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. • Glass containers are prohibited in areas used for sunbathing, swimming, or wading. • Horses are permitted only on the Alligator Hill Trail. • Check the park website for firearms regulations. MICHIGAN Surface eltJvatron !>80 ct <11 me Dimmicks Point Donner Po1nr A. SOUTH MANITOU ISLAND Gull Point DKOmml~~ (No s rvices) lighthOU$C Motorized Tours (seasonal) 1014ft ..309m SandyPomt Old Growth ./J.. C!:edars• South Manitou Lighthouse Frandsco '¾. Morazan wreck Accessibility We strive to make our facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For information go to the visitor center, ask a ranger, call, or check our website. Pyramid Point ~ Port Oneida Rural Historic District Things To See and Do Hiking Trails Over 100 miles of trailseasy, moderate, or strenuous-offer something for everyone. For details check out trail maps at the visitor center and posted at trailheads, or visit www.nps. gov/slbe. Manitou Islands To really get away from it all, take a backpacking trip to the islands. A camping permit is required. No commercial services are available. Ferry service operates from Leland, Ml, May to September. Contact Manitou Island Transit at 231-256-9061 or www.leelanau.com/manitou. Camping Camp only in campgrounds, except for dispersed camping on North Manitou. The park offers a variety of camping: modern sites and facilities at Platte River Campground, a more rustic experience at D.H. Day Campground, and backcountry camping at a walk-in campground on the mainland or on the Manitou islands. Campers may only collect dead and down wood-and none on the dunes. Get more information and permits at the visitor center or ranger stations. Hunting/Fishing Hunting t.1ndfishing are allowed in season under stdte regulations, but prohibited near high-visitor use areas, facilities and structures, and Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive when open. Check the Michigan hunting digests and Fishing Guide for information about regulations. GOOD ,. a. reson Roao Sleeping Bear Point US Life-Saving Service Station Maritime Museum Stargazing Truly dark skies, like the ones here, are critical to nocturnal habitats. Many species rely on natural patterns of day and night for navigating, cueing behaviors, and hiding from predators. Ask a ranger what you can do to help protect the night sky. Lttrle I ~m Sleeping Bear Point TraverseLake 'G B::AR BAY oar., n Rd Glen Haven Historic Village ncl\Ul ,,,,, ~ tmann I Rd 651 Ume Winter Recreation From mid-November to late March, the dunes become a winter wonderland. Crosscountry ski or snowshoe throughout the park or join a ranger-led snowshoe hike. About 50 miles of marked trails are ungroomed, and portions of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail are groomed. Snowmobiling is prohibited except on rights-of-way along some state and county roads. Ldke 667 GLEN LAKE Drones Prohibited without a permit. Inspiration Point I I I I Bar Lake Wilderness ~- 1 -........J V" Privately-owned ~d .,. In 2014 Congress designated over 32,500 acres of the park as wilderness under the 1964 Wilderness Act. Preserving wilderness benefits generations to come. ____ ..,.,. - More Information Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore 9922 Front St. Empire, Ml 49630 ~1 669 / Park Headquarters ~ 72 231- www.nps.gov/slbe EMPIRE BLUFFS Sleeping Bear Dunes is one of over 400 parks in the National Park System. Learn more about national parks at www.nps.gov. a National Park Foundation. To TraverseCity 7.7ml 12.4km Aral Hrlls Road Join the park community. www.nationalparks.org ,<;:Pcnon Stormer ..sn ;;,o1113060i..-.1upd.t1ed2019 669 667 Fowler Road t--+--------+----------610------- Platte River Point White Pine.A .E a- • •• End Trails "' 677 Platte River R,O'~~ LoonL Sutter 0..Trails Trails for hiking and/or Point Betsie crosscountry skiing begin at designated locations. Detailed trail maps are available. PLATTE LAKE 1 Old Indian 2 Platte Plains 3 Empire Bluff 4 Windy Moraine 5 Shauger Hill 6 Cottonwood (no winter use) 7 Dunes Hiking 8 Sleeping Bear H~ritage Trail (non-motorized, multi-use trail) 9 Sleeping Bear P ,mt (no winter use) 10 Alligator Hill 11 Bayview 12 Pyramid Point 13 Good Harbor Ba)' p torhrklng M boating. Use USGStopographic maps and NOAA charts Instead. Frankfort 115~ ~ Unpaved road ~ F--=j Heritage Trail f.i) Picnic area E:::J Other trails c=i Wilderness Area ,--i L_ Authoriied .J parkland Park boundary extends ¼ mile into lake Michigan. Parcelsof private property e~ist within the park's authorized boundary. Many small areas are not shown on the map. Respectall property owners' rights, 0 0 Ranger s'latjon ~ Campground ~ Beach accessarea A Backcountry campground (walk-in only; permit required) Lake Michigan depth □ Oft(Om) -600ft (·183m) 4 Kilometers 4 Miles