Ultimate Sleeping Bear Dunes Map - Hiking Trails - Empire Bluff, Pyramid Point, Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and More | Things To Do
Ultimate Sleeping Bear Dunes Map - Hiking Trails | By Sherry Trautman | Travel-Mi.com | Updated: August 27, 2022
Looking to do some Sleeping Bear Dunes hiking? Perhaps ride your bike on the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail? As an avid Michigan hiker, I wasn't able to find an interactive Sleeping Bear Dunes hiking trails map to use on my travels so I created my own! I hope you find it useful.
This Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore map includes:
- Old Indian Trail
- Platte Plains
- Empire Bluff
- Windy Moraine
- Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
- Cottonwood Trail
- Dunes Trails
- Dune Climb
- Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail
- Dunes Trail (Sleeping Bear Point)
- Alligator Hill
- Bay View
- Pyramid Point
- Good Harbor Trail
See the Incredible Sleeping Bear Dunes Trails!
Sleeping Bear Dunes Map: Sleeping Bear Dunes Trails
Sleeping Bear Dunes Map
So guys, I got this paper map from the National Park Service and I used the heck out of it to find all my hiking trails. Since then I created an interactive Google map that you can use while driving that is even more useful!
Sleeping Bear Dunes Trail Map - Heritage, Pyramid Point, Empire Bluff Trail, Alligator HillWhat is the Best Trail in Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Well, we love the Empire Bluffs Trail, Pyramid Point and Cottonwood Trails! There are several to explore so you can pick your favorite!
Interactive Sleeping Bear Dunes Trail Map
***I also created an interactive Google Map of the Sleeping Bear Dunes so it's live as you drive. This Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore map will be super useful!
Be Prepared When Hiking Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
If you plan to leave the trails, we recommend using a compass so you can find your way back. This compass is waterproof, glow in the dark, mirror sighting, neck lanyard, fire starter survival tool and whistle.
- Wear top rated sturdy hiking boots like these Foxelli boots (not flip flops!) as many of the trails are dirt with roots, rocks and uneven surfaces.
- These hiking boots come in lots of colors too!
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You will also need to bring mosquito repellant. We recommend this repellant as it is DEET free, organic, natural bug repellent & anti itch cream that is safe for kids. Pretty useful stuff.
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Bring a Lightweight Hiking Backpack
You should also bring a lightweight hiking pack so you can easily bring water, sunscreen, extra clothing and a snack.
The Venture Pal (pink) above is only 0.7 lbs, can easily fold into its own pocket for storage, has tons of storage pockets and my favorite feature: it has a waterproof wet pocket for wet water bottles or finding shells!
If you just want a cute, small, lightweight backpack that you can use in your daily life, I recommend a small one like the super cute Aotian day pack shown above.
I use these all the time, perfect for grocery shopping and when hiking it fits a water bottle, keys, phone, compass and a long sleeve t shirt. You can attach a Carabiner to the back to hook on flip flops.
Empire Bluff Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
You won't want to miss this incredible Sleeping Bear Dunes trail! We have a ton of info on this trail so we made a special page just for it.
Grab our trail map with tips, photos and more information:
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is located just north of Empire in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It's a 7.5 mile incredibly scenic drive with lots of pull offs for views of Lake Glen and the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Grab our guide --->
Cottonwood Trail in the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Cottonwood trail is located within the Pierce Stocking Drive. This scenic hike takes you over and between towering sand dunes with a rewarding view of Glen Lake. It's a great trail and definitely worth checking out!
Sleeping Bear Dunes Dune Climb
Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail Map: Awesome Bike Route
The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail spans between Empire to Good Harbor Michigan. You can see the distances on the map above.
Where to Park for the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail:
- Empire: Philip A. Hart Visitor Center Trailhead with restrooms
- A bit north of Empire: Bar Lake Road Trailhead
- The Dune Climb: Tons of paved parking with restrooms (need a Sleeping Bear Dunes Pass to park here)
- Glen Haven: Paved parking with restrooms
- Crystal River Trailhead: Fisher Red and S. Dunns Farm Road
- Port Oneida Trailhead
So here's the deal with the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.
I like to park at the Dune Climb (tons of paved parking and restrooms but you will need a Sleeping Bear Dunes pass-I get one anyway to hike and go to Pierce Stocking). Ride east toward Glen Arbor, do some wine tasting, shopping and grab a meal. Maybe hike the Alligator Hill trail if I have energy to spare. It's about 4.5 miles to Glen Arbor. See my interactive map of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail above.
Then depending on how you are feeling you can head further along the trail or head back to the Dune Climb and tour the trail to the south a bit.
Alligator Hill Hiking Trail Map
Alligator Hill is has several dirt parking spots. You can choose between a few different trails at Alligator Hill. The 1-2-3-5 trail is about 2.5 miles and you are rewarded with an Island's lookout.
Porta-john is available.
One of the neatest things at the Alligator Hill hiking trail are these concrete kilns that were built in the 1950's by lumberman Pierce Stocking.
His sawmill produced considerable waste that he decided to turn into charcoal in the kilns. The charcoal was then packed in bags and shipped to stores in Michigan for sale to campers.
Pyramid Point Trail
The Pyramid Point Sleeping Bear Dunes trail is awesome! It's only .6 miles to the incredible Lake Michigan overlook and sand dunes. There is another trail that heads east though the woods that you can explore also.
You will walk along a scenic dirt path through the forest. The trail is a gradual uphill hike most of the time, so be prepared for that.
Pyramid Point TrailUse this Pyramid Point Trail map with the Sleeping Bear Dunes Map to find your way around!
Pin This Sleeping Bear Dunes Map Page! You'll Need It!
We hope you found this Sleeping Bear Dunes hiking trails map super useful!
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