Cottonwood Trail Hiking Guide
Cottonwood Trail is the easiest way to get out onto the Sleeping Bear dunes without committing to the Dune Climb. The 1.5-mile loop starts at Stop 4 of the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and wanders over the dune plateau past blowouts, cottonwoods and wildflowers, with views down to Glen Lake. It is also the only dune trail in the park where you can bring a leashed dog.
Permit: A park pass covers the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and this trail: $25 per car for 7 days, $20 per motorcycle, or $45 for a year; passes are sold at the Scenic Drive
The Loop
The Park Service lists a 1.5-mile loop and says to expect about an hour; mapping apps record about 1.6 miles with roughly 180 feet of gain. Green-topped wooden posts mark the path. The park's trail table calls it moderate, hilly, all sand and unshaded, while the trail page calls it easy overall and good for small children. Both are fair: it is short, but loose sand and several hills make it tiring, especially in the first half.
Nine Stops on the Plateau
Numbered posts explain the landscape. Post 2 looks at a blowout, a bowl scooped out of the dune by prevailing southwesterly winds. Post 3 follows part of an abandoned loop of the original Scenic Drive, now partly buried under several feet of sand, which shows why the road was moved. Post 4 is a dune restoration study area set up in 1984. There is a bench at post 7 for a breather and a view.
Bringing the Dog
Leashed pets are allowed on Cottonwood Trail, but nowhere else in the dunes trail system, so do not wander off the loop onto the open sand with a dog. Leashes must be six feet or shorter. Sand gets hot under a summer sun; check the surface with your hand before committing a dog's paws to it.
Scenic Drive Season
The trailhead is reached only by the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, a one-way loop of about 7.4 miles off M-109 that is open to vehicles roughly late May to late October, weather permitting. The Park Service lists Cottonwood as having no winter access. Once the road closes to cars, reaching the trailhead means walking the drive itself, so October is the practical last month. Passes are sold at the Scenic Drive.
What to Bring
There is no shade on most of the loop. Take water, sunscreen, a hat and shoes; the sand heats up fast. Poison ivy grows along the trail, as the first interpretive post points out, so keep to the path and wash up if you brush against it. Stay on marked trail: off-trail footprints on the dunes take years to revegetate.
Hiking tips for Cottonwood Trail
- Hike Cottonwood before late October, when the Scenic Drive closes to cars for the season.
- Keep dogs on the marked loop; the rest of the dune trail system is closed to pets.
- Bring water and a hat; there is almost no shade.
- Watch for poison ivy near the start of the loop.
- Rest at the bench by post 7 for the best sit-down view.
Nearby trails to explore
- Sleeping Bear Dune Climb
- Empire Bluff Trail
- Sleeping Bear Point Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Cottonwood Trail is the dune hike you can do with your dog and still be back in an hour. Use TrailMates to find Traverse City hikers heading to the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. Download the TrailMates app to connect.