Google labels Sleeping Bear Dunes a "mountain peak" - LOL. But it is a pretty cool…read morenaturally-occurring pile of sand (and every form of life that is adapted to it). We hiked Cottonwood Trail, but *might* have strayed off it a bit in order to see Lake Michigan. It is great to know that this area is protected.

My only kind that I have about this place was that parking was really expensive! Overall, if you're…read moreinto scenic views, challenging walks, even going to the beach too or are just a avid adventurer this is the place for you. Me and my wife basically did the Dune Climb which was very extraordinary which I reviewed on a separate page. This place was very well maintained with very minimal trash. The dunes were very scenic and even the people were very friendly too. I have never seen water looks so clean and beautiful before. Getting into the beach can be a bit painful with all those rocks just stabbing your feet. I absolutely had an incredible time here regardless. I highly recommend checking this place out if you ever have to chance!

Wow is this trail absolutely beautiful! My friend and I recently completed this hike and we were so…read morehappy we decided to make a pit stop here on our road-trip up north. This 1.5 mile hike is short, relatively easy, and offers some of the best views in the area. There is a small parking lot with a bathroom accessible at this trail. You mainly walk through wooded areas with small inclines before you reach the overlook. This is perfect for families, friends, and anyone who is interested in exploring the outdoors.

Empire Bluff Trail is a 1.5 mile roundtrip hike but if you want to be a rebel, you can make this…read moreover a 5 miler by continuing on the well marked trail past the guard rail. The trail can take you all the way to an area called Treat Farmstead which is what we did. The trail starts off in a parking lot and well marked trail map. There's a slight incline up through a wooded area to the bluffs. Off to the right hand side not to far along your journey you will see an old logging saw of some sort that was neat. Once you get through the forest (maybe 0.5-0.75 miles) you end on the sandy bluff over looking Lake Michigan. The views are absolutely stunning. Seeing the shoreline from high above was amazing. After we took it all in, we made our way along the trail to Treat Farmstead. The trail is pretty sandy most of the way as you go up and down the bluff. We actually saw an Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake along the way (see picture). I had no idea they had poisonous snakes this far north. Apparently they are very rare. You end up back into another wooded area before it opens up again with a different but equally beautiful view of the shoreline. In the forest we found wild apple trees that according to Google you can eat. Don't take my word for it though. I'm no expert so if you go all Chris McCandless from 'Into the Wild' eat one and die don't hold me liable. Definitely worth going the extra distance and checking it all out just be prepared to get a lot of sand in your shoes.

This Pyramid Point Overlook has such a colorful setting here on the banks of Sleeping Bear Dunes…read moreNational Lakeshore. I really admired the surroundings and simply looking down upon Lake Michigan's beautiful sand and beaches. Pyramid Point Trail was recommended to me by the park ranger at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center back in the town of Empire, MI. It's a casual 1/2-mile climb to arrive at this observation point. Though...you can hike a 2.7-mile round trip loop around the lakeshores to get a more real feel perspective of being here at Sleeping Bear Dunes rather than just heading straight for this Pyramid Point vista spot. I visited on a random Tuesday back in late May 2021 around 12pm and had the trail and observation point all to myself. So, from high above the waters I was able to hear the waves crashing down below. It was quite nice, and I genuinely appreciated the ambiance. And...I couldn't believe how scenic the turquoise green colors of Lake Michigan appeared especially when highlighted by the sun's strong reflections. Btw...while exploring at Sleeping Bear Dunes I also recommend hiking Empire Bluff Trail and driving the 7.5-mile Pierce Stocking Drive on the outskirts of Lake Michigan. And when traveling along Pierce Stocking Drive, my favorite pullovers were stop numbers 9, 10, 11 to capture the best backdrops for what makes the lakeshore special. Also, don't forget trekking up the 3.5-mile roundtrip Dune Climb to access the beach shores of Lake Michigan. Finally, this Pyramid Point Overlook and Trail was my last full activity here at Sleeping Bear Dubes NL. The crisp, clear background scenery was a terrific way to end my explorations in the Lower Peninsula section of Michigan before venturing further north towards the "UP" driving "Shipwreck Coast" and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore before ultimately ending at Isle Royale National Park. But...I highly suggest hiking the 1/2-mile (each way) Pyramid Point Trail to arrive at this visually appealing overlook!

Fabulous experience that is well-worth visiting. Hiked through the wooded area to eventually see an…read moreoverview of Lake Michigan. A must visit!

One of our hands-down favorite places to hike. There's tons of hike-in camping spots along the…read more11-mile hiking trail, which largely follows the shoreline of the Manistee River with a few inland jaunts on a few of the oxbows. Despite being fairly well known, it's pretty pristine and doesn't feel overly busy but it's also never completely vacant. The river views are lovely, there's plenty of wildlife (great fishing & birdwatching), and there's a cliff swing over the water (huge adrenaline rush for this 43-year-old) on an off-shoot path just past the suspension bridge and a waterfall at mile 3.5 if you're coming from the north. You can return on the main path or on the other side of the river on a section of the North Country Trail.

What a great hiking trail! Parking wasn't bad at Red River Bridge Access…read moreOnce on the trail it is well marked. Campsites were clean and it looks like the hikers who enjoy the trail take good care of it. I didn't see one bit of trash the whole day. It was pretty busy, with folks heading both directions, everyone was very friendly and they all seemed to be enjoying the day! The views are beautiful. Absolutely the best hiking we have done in the lower peninsula. We will absolutely be back!

The vast array of hiking trails found behind the historic State Hospital grounds is one of my…read morefavorite discoveries since moving to TC a couple of months ago. It is a perfect place to "get lost", but not in the sense that a search party has to come and find you later! The trails are easy to follow and routes/loops are well marked. You can easily spend several hours wandering around in here. When you get tired of hiking up the big hills, there's usually a bench waiting for you. There are bridges over the creeks and nice boardwalks over wet areas in a cedar grove. If you make it up to the top, which isn't hard to do, you have beautiful views of the bay through the trees. Dogs are allowed and so are bikes - the hubs is looking forward to biking the trails when spring arrives. Park anywhere at The Village and head on up any of the trails going in to the woods and you're there. I like to park by Left Foot Charley and go up Yellow Dr., past the Underground Cheesecake Factory... that way, when you come back, you can easily grab a tasty snack, sip of wine, or cup of coffee from Higher Grounds.

Great spot for hiking, and probably great for skiing in the winter. Very well marked if you stay on…read morethe main trails, with a sign and map at each intersection. If you follow the blazes and the maps, it would be hard to get lost! If you use the All Trails map, you can see where the secondary trails go and plan a few side trips on the less traveled paths. Lots of choices to make a hike as long as you would want. Hikes through the woods, near the stream, near the lake. On this hike at the end of June, it was not too warm (morning hike) and there were few bugs. Trail running and mountain biking apparently allowed here but saw only a couple of each. Lots of birds, a few squirrels and chipmunks, a big beaver house, etc. A lot more for me to explore. Go check it out!

My first single track...loved it. Biked this path while staying at the Holiday Park Campground…read more Beautiful fall views!

Two parks for the price of nothing! The north entrance leads to a very nice beach with great views…read more Their are some great rocks for people into rock collecting. Their are places to park and trails to hike. At the south entrance you park then there are trails to hike. 1 leads back to the north park. The other one leads to about a 5 minute hike to a stream view area. You'll see the stream almost right away, but in the distance and between foliage. It's a very nice stream, though nothing epic. There is then a 3 minute hike to the beach where the stream meets Lake Michigan. Again here the views are spectacular. Thetrails could be better marked and better upkept to get rid of low branches. The trail connecting the two parks is about 0.8 miles. Overall a 5 star review.

Well, this was a delight of a park - though the hike didn't work out too well. We came here for the…read moretrail/hike, but the trail was mostly washed out from rain and it became impassable the further in we went. This is actually right along a gorgeous little stretch of beach though, a nice spot for looking for charlevoix and petoskey stones. Gorgeous shore, plenty of distance to walk, dog-friendly - what could be better? Lots of fairly rocky shoreline, but some areas that were pretty sandy as well, for folks wanting a place to lie down. I will say the main area right near the parking lot was very crowded, but the further down you walked you could get to some pretty quiet areas. You can also go partly down the trail and connect to another stretch of beach that is very quiet.