Decided to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes while on vacation. I made the mistake of not reading reviews before our visit. The views are stunning but the hike isn't easy. If you have the stamina to hike this, it's a must do. My biggest regret was forgetting my water in the car. We took several short breaks to catch our breath and take photos. Just when you think you're done, you aren't. LOL! We don't have kids but all of the kids I saw, were having a blast.

If you want to have a good time, go hang out on the observation/overlook deck right above the Dune Climb and just watch people climb their way back up. My friend and I spent at least two hours here, doing exactly that. We had timers going for certain folks, made up names and stories for each person who attempted the Climb, and incredible make believe narration about the people who ditched their loved ones further down. You can't hang out in this part of Michigan without checking out the Dune Climb (or doing it yourself). The massive sign warning about a $3,000 rescue charge makes for a great photo op. But even if you don't have much time, the visitor center is nice and the drive through the park is beautiful.

We hiked part of the Dune Trail, went on the scenic drive, went to the beach, and our daughter earned her junior ranger badge. This is a beautiful lakeshore. We didn't have enough time to do everything and we will definitely be going back to experience all of it. If you like hiking and exploring nature, this is a great place to do it.

Easily could spend days here hiking the trails and stopping to explore each area off the driving path. We had perfect weather for some fantastic views. Definitely stop by the visitor center and ask to watch the short film (which they play on request) as it's very informative about the park and some of the Native history. Just be mindful of your activity level if you decide to do the dune climb - at the overlook (I think it was marked 9 or 10 on a map we got from the visitor center), the dune down to the lake is around 500 feet and almost vertical, with a sign stating a hefty fine if they have to send someone out to rescue you from the bottom. Even the younger, fit people were breathing heavily once back at the top. There are smaller, less steep dunes you can climb throughout the park that are more suitable for those wanting a bit of a challenge.

The views are spectacular. Climbing the dunes, while outside the park, is worth the little bit of extra time. Such fun. Be sure to do the full tour first before you want to spend time at a particular spot.

This park was so awesome ! Start out by stopping by the visitors center in Empire. Here you can pick up maps, souvenirs and a stamp for your passport book. Chat with the staff there on the highlights of the park based on your interests. We wanted to take short hike so we found out the best trail for that. Drive up the road to the entrance to the park. Each stop is well marked and has parking. The views are breathtaking! To think that the dunes were created from a lake and not an ocean is mind boggling. There was one stop to walk to the top of the dune and look down. A sign informs you that if they need to come down to rescue you the fine is $3000. Steep as the dune going down Every stop is more beautiful than the one prior. Will definitely do this park again

We enjoyed our visit to this National Lakeshore. We were more interested in scenic views and hiking than in a beach visit, so we didn't ever actually go to the lake itself. We started our visit at the visitor center, where there were friendly people and a small giftshop, and we could get maps, advice, and a National Park Passport stamp. We also picked up a brochure for the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, which showed each stop and give a short description - this drive was one of our favorite activities that we did at the park. The area is a bit spread out along the lakeshore, which makes sense, but there was plenty of parking as we drove around to the various places we wanted to see. This was our first visit to a National Lakeshore (there are only 3 of them) and it definitely met our expectations and then some.

We have seen this Lakeshore from the water on boat trips coming across the Lake from Wisconsin but never came here by vehicle. We drove here from northern Wisconsin where we live with our van camper and enjoyed 4 great days in this park. The scenery and overlooks are spectacular! Just driving the roads in the park and in nearby areas is worth it. We camped at Platte River Campground and DH Day campground. Platte River is an exceptional campground and if we ever go back would spend the whole time there. Nice private wooded sites and first class bathrooms and facilities. One could easily spend a week here. Nearby Glen Arbor is a really nice village with stores and restaurants worth checking out. Make sure to visit historic Glen Haven and tour the village there and museums.

We went for the hiking and were not disappointed. It snowed while we were here, which we were thankful for, we love a good snow hike. Also, minimal people, only encountered three other people on the trails. If you like hiking I strongly recommend the Dune Climb, it was awesome!