Towering perched dunes, forested bluffs, and island-studded Lake Michigan shoreline in northwestern Michigan.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore that protects an approximately 35-mile stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern shoreline in northwestern Lower Michigan, together with North and South Manitou Islands. The park preserves a dramatic chain of perched sand dunes rising hundreds of feet above the lake, backed by beech and maple forests, deep glacial bluffs, freshwater rivers, and quiet inland lakes such as Glen Lake.
The lakeshore is notable for blending geology, ecology, and heritage in a single landscape. Glacial deposits from the last ice age form high bluffs that are still being reshaped by wind and water, while a mosaic of dune, forest, wetland, and shoreline habitats supports species ranging from piping plovers to black bears. Layered on top of this natural setting are historic sites such as the South Manitou Island Lighthouse, Glen Haven's former company town, and the rural Port Oneida farm district.
Established in 1970 and administered by the National Park Service, the lakeshore became a centerpiece of Northern Michigan's outdoor identity, gaining national attention in 2011 when it was named the "Most Beautiful Place in America" by Good Morning America. In 2014, a substantial interior portion of the park was also formally designated as the Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, reinforcing its protection as one of the most striking freshwater coastal landscapes in the United States.
