Sleeping Bear Dunes

 

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

While on our trek to Michigan's Upper Peninsula we made a stop at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  This is on the east side of Lake Michigan. We visited on a Sunday in Mid-August, which is not the most opportune time to park at the most scenic stops.  Many visitors such ourselves. We generally opt for a weekday visit early in the morning, but we were enroute to our overnight campground, so we didn't have the necessary flexibility.

I've hiked along the Dunes and camped along the shoreline in the Upper Peninsula, so I was very familiar with this.  The Warren Dunes State Park, in Sawyer MI are only 12 miles north of the Indiana State Line and offer similar walks and climbs.  Also notable is the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado.  That was part of another trek and is in an earlier blog.

We had an enjoyable few hours of walking and touring via the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. 

Heritage Trail Map

Some of the hikes include steep climbs but there are other, gentler ones.  We did not walk to the crest of the challenging "Dune Climb".  A Park Pass is required for all trail use within the national lakeshore. There are walking and cycling paths nearby.  One thing to keep in mind is the distances can be deceiving.  It is recommended by the Park Service to have ample water, good shoes and sun screen when attempting these walks. 

For a complete list of the Hiking Trails information, including alerts, regulations and safety information go to the official website.  Here is a link which was in effect on September 2, 2025:

Sleeping Bear Dunes Hiking Information

Gentle Hike near the Dune Climb

At the Dune Climb

Up the Dune Climb

Another view of the Dune Climb

Note: No AI tools were used to produce this blog. Most photos are unretouched.

(c) 2025 N. Retzke

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Part 2

Continuing the post on our Great Sand Dunes visit (part 1 was posted January 3)
After crossing Medano Creek we continued our walk to the dunes. It's important to carry water and to keep hydrated on these walks. On the windy dunes it may also be necessary to hold that hat onto one's head. During the summer, the sand temperature may reach 150F and there are thunderstorms. The National Park Service recommends morning walks. We arrived on June 17 at about noon and temperatures were mild with nary a thunderstorm in site.

I've included a link to a brief video at the conclusion of this post.

G assumed a stance "well, Norm, keep up, will you"! We were enjoying the dunes, taking photos and interacting with people.

One of the activities on the dunes is sandboarding or sandsledding. The park recommends that visitors use the boards available at the visitors center. "Sandboards and sand sleds are specifically made for sand, featuring a special design and slick bases; these work best for sliding in most conditions."

I joined a small group who were snowsledding.

Sometimes a push to start is helpful.

Some onlookers bring their favorite lawn chairs so as to get a better seat.

G remained at the base of the dunes with another onlooker and his dog; They come frequently and the dog loves to cavort in the creek.

I marveled at the dancing sand which was constantly moving. It can be relatively coarse. I'll post a brief video at the conclusion which will include this frame.

It was time to return to the creek, cross it and after a brief lunch, hit the road.

Here's the video. As usual, I left the steady cam in Hollywood:

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes from Space

"Dunes Among Diversity 
The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, conifer and aspen forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Experience this diversity through hiking, sand sledding, splashing in Medano Creek, wildlife watching, and more!"

So reads the U.S. National Park Service description of this unusual national park. Approaching from a distance, it really doesn't seem that unusual. In fact, it appears as a small strip, or smear at the base of the Sangre De Cristo mountains.

As one draws closer the dunes finally get some definition:

Only after turning onto the entrance road and driving several miles does the true magnitude of this national park become visible. As is true with all of the national parks, taking a leisurely hike reveals the beauty and wonder.

A Fun Stop
We spent an afternoon at the park. It was a wonderful day in the sun. The Medano Creek was wet but easily crossed, and we hopped and zig-zagged to find the driest route and to avoid the deeper areas. We got wet feet, but that was all. Our sneakers dried quickly upon our return to the RT.

We have had some travelers comment on the flies and other pests, but we did not encounter this. We parked at the visitor's center and walked the trail in a northwesterly direction toward the Medano Creek. This was our first hike of several at this park. It was a very pleasant hike and we encountered some of the diverse wildlife in the area.

From the visitors center there is a good view of the dunes. It requires a telephoto lens to get some idea of the distance and to clearly discern the people walking the dunes:

We decided to walk the path from the visitor center toward the dunes. This path goes in a northwesterly direction and then turns northeasterly as it crosses Mosca Creek. It then traverses a parking area. The path points directly at the "High Dune" which has a height of 699 feet.  This is not the highest dune in the park. The "Star Dune" is taller at 755 feet.  The distances and heights can be deceiving.

Along the way we encountered both flora and fauna, including a small herd of about 12 deer. There are several near and under the two trees in the center of this photo:

Here's a few telephoto photos of that same area:

We continued on the path, in a direction to the right of the deer. There were cacti and other flowering plants along the way:

As we continued on the path toward the dunes and became closer to the deer, the deer decided they didn't want to mingle with us and so they departed:

Looking back toward the visitor's center, it became apparent we has walked a good distance:

We were tantalizingly close to Medano Creek and the dunes:

However, we decided to return to the visitor's center, get our vehicle and proceed to the parking area immediately adjacent to the creek.   We drove the short distance, parked and made the short walk to Medano Creek. We crossed easily and headed for the dunes:

Sand, beautiful sand!

The dunes don't seems to be very large or distant, but zooming in with a telephoto lens reveals just how massive they really are. You can see some of the dancing sand in the upper left hand corner of this photo:

I continued the walk to the dunes, leaving G to chat with another visitor.  You might notice the haze at their feet. It was windy, and that is blowing sand. In fact, I marvelled because the dancing sand of the dunes did seem to be alive:

Link to National Park Service Webcam:

Clicking will open a  New Window> Current Webcam Photo


Continued in Part 2