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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Ski and Snowshoe
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Sleeping Bear Dunes offers outstanding cross country skiing and snowshoeing on a variety of trails and terrain. A list of trails and links to trail maps can be found on the bottom of this page. Ski trails are not groomed but are usually well tracked by previous skiers.
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Kerry Kelly 2004 | Winter view of Lake Michigan from the bluffs |
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Winter is an excellent time to explore the Lakeshore, especially with a National Park Ranger on snowshoes! The first snowshoe hike will be on Saturday, December 29th. Snowshoe hikes will then be offered every Saturday during January and February. All hikes will begin at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center on Highway M-72 at the edge of the village of Empire at 1:00 p.m. Call the Visitor Center at 231-326-5134, ext. 328 to make a reservation.
Rangers will first provide basic snowshoeing instructions and then, everyone will travel by car to a specific trailhead. Along the trail, the ranger will share interesting facts about the park's unique features. Be prepared and plan to be outside until about 3:00 p.m.
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Kerry Kelly 2004 | Putting on showshoes is easy. |
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Not only is snowshoeing easy, fun, and good exercise, it is also an activity that can be enjoyed by all ages. The ranger-led hikes are mildly strenuous, yet they proceed at a leisurely pace for approximately one and a half miles. This allows you to look for signs of wildlife or evidence of ancient glaciers or to simply experience a winter wonderland.
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# | Name | Distance | Terrain | Vegetation | Comments | 1 | Old Indian | 3.5 miles 2 Loops | Flat to gently rolling with a few sections of steep hills | Evergreens and hardwoods | Designated ski trail. Trail leads to a view of Lake MI | 2 | Platte Plains | 14.7 miles Several Loops | Mostly flat | Pine-oak-aspen | Designated ski trail. 3 views of Lake MI | 3 | Empire Bluff | 1.5 miles Round Trip | Hilly | Beech-maple, fields, dune plants | Not a designated ski trail. Overlook on high bluff over Lake MI | 4 | Windy Moraine | 1.5 miles One Loop | Hilly | Beech-maple, old fields, pine plantation | Designated ski trail. Views of GlenLake, Lake MI, and Dunes | 5a | Shauger Hill | 2.4 miles One Loop | Hilly | Beech-maple | Designated ski trail. Crosses Shauger Hill Rd and Scenic Drive | 5b | Scenic Drive Ski Trail | 8 miles Several Loops | Hilly | Beech-maple | Not a designated ski trail. Unplowed Scenic Drive and Shauger Hill | 10 | Alligator Hill | 9 miles Several Loops | Hilly | Beech-maple, fields, pine plantation | Designated ski trail. Several loops, Overlook of Lake MI and Glen Lake. Horses are permitted. | 11 | Bay View | 8 miles Several Loops | Hilly | Beech-maple, fields, pine plantation | Designated ski trail. Panoramic view of Lake MI and countryside | 12 | Pyramid Point | 2.7 Miles Round Trip | Hilly | Beach-maple forests & fields | Not a designated ski trail. Trail leads to a high outlook over Lake MI. | 13 | Good Harbor Bay | 2.8 miles One Loop | Flat, wet in places | Wooded, some dunes | Designated ski trail. |
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Did You Know?
There are over 100 miles of hiking trails in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Many of these trails can also be used for skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.
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Last Updated: February 22, 2008 at 12:29 EST |