Campgrounds In Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a huge park, covering more than 70,000 acres across two Michigan counties. Over 35 miles of coastline, two rivers, inland lakes, miles of trails and several campgrounds call the park home. This park, organized in its current form in 1970, is named for a centuries old Native American legend about a mother bear and her cubs. The bear forms the dunes on the shore and her cubs are two islands offshore. About seven miles from the mainland, North Manitou Island and South Manitou Island are also part of the park, and camping is allowed there as well.

Backcountry Camping on the Mainland

Sleeping Bear Dunes has many options for campers, including campgrounds for those seeking a back-country experience. Two campgrounds on the mainland offer back-country camping, and are accessible only on foot. The Valley View Backcountry Camp, one and a half miles from a trail-head on Hyland Road north of the town of Glen Arbor offers five rustic sites. Pit toilets are provided as well as two community fire rings. No water is available at the camp, so campers must be prepared to pack in all their water.

White Pine Backcountry Camp is in the southern part of the park, and has six rustic sites. No water is available at the camp, but a trail leads to Lake Michigan a half mile away. Water collected this way must be treated before use. A pit toilet and a community fire ring are provided. A two-mile trail leads from a trailhead on Trail's End Road to the camp.

Rustic Camping

The D.H. Day Campground is a rustic campground with access for tents, recreational vehicles and trailers. This campground is accessed via a dirt road and is located in the northern part of the park, near the village of Glen Haven, and is a short walk from the Lake Michigan shore. Vault toilets and running water are the only improvements offered for the camp's 88 sites. A ranger station is on-site and is staffed during the camping season which runs from April to November. Daily programs are offered by the park staff each evening that focus on the lakeshore's natural beauty and history.

Platte River Campground

Platte River Campground is a more improved campground, with water and electrical hook-ups for RVs, including back-in and pull-through sites. Walk-in group camping sites, and sites for tents--some walk-in only--are available as well. This campground is open year-round. Showers, sanitation stations and modern bathrooms with camp sinks are provided. This campground is generally full every night from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

North Manitou Island

North Manitou Island is a 15,000 expanse of backpacking heaven. This island is maintained as a wilderness area by the National Park Service (NPS), and even though once occupied by year-round residents, has reverted to a wild state. One designated campground exists on the island, located on the site of the deserted village of North Manitou. The Village Campground has eight sites and a community fire ring. No running water is provided anywhere on the island, so campers must bring a suitable filter or other treatment method for water collected from Lake Michigan or one of the island's inland lakes or ponds.

Many miles of trails allow hikers to explore the island, and backcountry camping is encouraged. Campers may choose their own campsites, but campsites must be 300 feet from Lake Michigan or any other water, other campsites, and any buildings. Numerous historic abandoned buildings dot the island, and there are NPS buildings on the island. A ferry service, located in the town of Leland, north of the main body of the National Lakeshore provides transport to and from the island.

South Manitou Island

South Manitou Island is less than half the size of North Manitou, but still packs a huge amount of interesting things to see and do into its boundaries. Three campgrounds are located on the island; Bay, Weather Station, and Popple Campgrounds. All three are accessed by foot only, as wheeled vehicles are not allowed on the island, outside a small area near the dock. Bay Campground is located on a mile-long pebble beach on the bay at the camp's eastern shore, and the other two are right on the beach, Popple on the island's north end, and Weather Station on the south. Community fire rings, water and pit toilets are the only improvements.

Miles of trails give access to these campgrounds and the island's other areas of interest. A steep climb up dunes leads to a massive dune area atop a steep bluff on the island's western shore. The Perched Dunes were formed by thousands of years of prevailing winds piling sand up into this formation, which is unique. A museum dedicated to the history of life on the island is located within the zone near the NPS facilities and the dock. Numerous historic buildings and a frontier cemetery, the Valley of the Giants forest with some of the largest trees of their species left in the U.S., a shipwreck and the South Manitou Lighthouse are other highlights. A book entitled "Exploring North Manitou, South Manitou High and Garden Islands of the Lake Michigan Archipelago" by Richard Ruchoft is an excellent in-depth guide to these islands and their charms.