Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness
Sleeping Bear Dunes is as old as continental ice sheets and as young as the 1970 Establishment Act that set aside the Lakeshore for preservation of the natural resources and for public use. With miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and numerous inland lakes and streams, this Wilderness is wonderfully water-oriented, however, the most prominent features, and those for which the Wilderness is named, are the perched dunes above Lake Michigan. These immense sand dunes are “perched” atop the already towering headlands that are glacial moraines. The dune overlooks at the Sleeping Bear, Empire and Pyramid Point bluffs are about 400 feet above Lake Michigan.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| State | Michigan |
| Size | 32,557 acres |
| Designated | 2014, by Congress |
| Center point | 45.11° N, 86.02° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
2 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 5 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0.1 miNorth Manitou Island Lifesaving Station ↗National Historic Landmark
- 5.4 miCity Of Milwaukee ↗National Historic Landmark
- under 0.1 miHutzler's Barn ↗Leland, MI
- 0.3 miSleeping Bear Point Life Saving Station ↗Glen Haven, MI
- 0.6 miEmpire School ↗Empire, MI
- 0.7 miSleeping Bear Inn ↗Glen Haven, MI
- 1.9 miSaint Joseph's Catholic Church ↗Glen Arbor, MI
- 2.8 miNorth Manitou Shoal Light Station ↗Leland Township, MI
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Michigan
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
- Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes on and Around the North Country Trail - Michigan and WisconsinThomas Funke, 2016Find at Bookshop.org
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness?
32,557 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness?
The National Park Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness in?
Michigan.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 2014.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 45.107° N, 86.021° W. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is 1 mile away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness?
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (1 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness?
The National Register has 17 listings within 15 miles, including North Manitou Island Lifesaving Station and City Of Milwaukee.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.