A truly memorable lakeshore experience is a mere day’s drive from the Cincinnati area. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (a U.S. National Park) provides a beautiful and active weekend or vacation for people of all ages.
Sleeping Bear Dunes ranks as one of the most beautiful natural areas in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and has been called the “Number one Midwest nature escape for families” by Disney’s Family Fun magazine. It offers 35 miles of coastline, scenic drives, picnicking, camping, museums, historical demonstrations, and a “climbing dune” that will challenge the most intrepid traveler.
Visitors can take a ferry to North and South Manitou Islands (the “sleeping bears” of local Native American legend), tour a lighthouse and coast guard station, visit (and shop in) a historic logging village, enjoy the beach, and take in presentations at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center.
Numerous hotels, inns, and other lodging options are available in the area. The park’s Platte River Campground offers sites with electric hook-ups for RVs and trailers as well as walk-in sites, and the D.H. Day Campground provdes more rustic camping for RVs, trailers, and tents. Backpackers can enjoy campsites on North and South Manitou Islands.
Other attractions in the area include numerous islands, lighthouses, and wineries, as well as the Leelanau Sands Casino, Fishtown, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts.
To plan your trip, visit the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau website here.
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