Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - Bicycling (U.S. National Park Service)

Riding your bicycle in the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore is a great way to experience the beauty of the area and get some exercise at the same time. Bicycling is permitted only on maintained roads in the park. Bikes are not permitted on hiking trails, but any road open to automobiles can be used for biking - including 2-track roads. Roads within campgrounds, the back roads around Port Oneida, and the Pierce Stoking Scenic Drive can all be used for biking.

Pedal the Lakeshore: Free Ranger-Guided Bike Tours
NOTE - These programs have been extended through August 16th.

NPS 2008

Ride through the Lakeshore with Ryan Locke.

Ride the winding back roads of Sleeping Bear Dunes and pedal through history on old farm roads and former logging roads. Enjoy the fields, forests, and fresh air on your bicycle!

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will be offering six bike tours per week at two very different locations. Join us in leaving the car behind and exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore by bike! Click here to open a pdf file with maps and other details about the Bike Tours.

Backroads: Farms and Forests

Thursdays at 11:00am, Fridays at 5:00pm, Saturdays at 11:00am

South of Empire, we will start at an old school house and ride through an agricultural landscape, visit a ghost town, and transition into the woods at a former logging area, talking about the natural and cultural history along the way! We will meet behind the old schoolhouse at the corner of M-22 and Norconk Road about 1.5 miles south of Empire.

Discovering Cultural Landscapes: Port Oneida Rural Historic District

Wednesdays at 5:00pm, Fridays at 11:00am, Saturdays at 5pm

What is a cultural landscape? Come to Port Oneida to find out as we pedal through the 3500 acre Port Oneida Rural Historic District, the largest of its kind in the entire nation! We will meet at the corner of M-22 and Basch Road about 14 miles north of Empire.

Details:

Rides will be between 8 and 10 miles, and will be considered moderate in difficulty and strenuous at times.Tourswill be on gravel, dirt, and some paved roads. Mountain bike tires are appropriate. Please allow 2 hours for our tour.
Helmets are required and children should be at least 11 years of age.
Bring sunscreen, bug spray, water, a camera, and maybe something to snack on.

Please remember that bikes need to be in good working order.

Road Bike Touring

Bike clubs frequently schedule trips to the Sleeping Bear Dunes area because the terrain in the area provides a variety of levels of challenge. M-22, M-109, and M-209 are all generally flat to moderately rolling. The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is quite challenging with steep hills and curves. Some of the county roads in the area have relatively steep hills, so it is wise to take a tour of your proposed bike trip by car before starting out.

Nearby Biking Areas

For those who enjoy mountain biking on single track trails, there are two Michigan State Forest trails just east of the National Lakeshore that allow mountain bikes. Lake Ann Pathway is located just west of Lake Ann on Reynolds Road. Lost Lake Pathway is located 1.5 miles west of Interlochen on US 31 then 1 mile north on Wildwood Rd.

There is a new paved rail-trail south of the Lakeshore that goes from Frankfort and Elberta to Crystal Lake. The trail is gravel from Crystal Lake to Thompsonville. It is called the Betsie Valley Trail.