The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail

If you love biking or walking and you’re heading to Sleeping Bear Dunes, the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is worth knowing — it’s the only bike trail in the national lakeshore. About 22 miles of mostly paved path wind through rolling hills, past sand dunes, and through stretches of forest. The trail is ten feet wide, with boardwalk sections here and there and a packed-gravel stretch through the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. Cyclists, walkers, runners, folks in wheelchairs, and families with strollers all use it.

The terrain shifts as you go. The Empire end of the trail has more hills; the Glen Arbor end is much flatter. You’ll need a park pass to get on the trail, and a few sections pass close to private land — give those neighbors their space.

Come winter, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes grooms sections for Nordic skiing, skate skiing, and snowshoeing. One heads-up for dog owners: pets aren’t allowed on the trail from December 1 through March 31.