Sleeping Bear Dune Climb Hiking Guide
The Dune Climb is the park's most famous stop: a 284-foot wall of sand that people scramble up and run down all summer. Beyond the top, the Dunes Trail continues across the Sleeping Bear plateau to Lake Michigan. The Park Service calls that walk the most strenuous hike in the lakeshore, and its warning is worth repeating: Lake Michigan is not just over the next dune.
Permit: Entrance pass required: $25 per vehicle for 7 days, $15 per person 16+ arriving on foot or bike, $45 annual park pass; passes are sold at the Dune Climb
The Dunes Trail, Hill by Hill
The Park Service lists the Dunes Trail at 3.5 miles round trip and says it takes most people two to four hours, sometimes longer in heat. Mapping apps record about 3.6 miles with roughly 670 feet of gain, all of it on loose sand. From the top of the second hill it is still about 1.5 miles of up-and-down across big dunes to the water, and every climb has to be repeated on the way back. Blue-tipped posts mark the route.
Just the Climb
For many families the Dune Climb itself is the outing. From the top of the first dune you look back over Little Glen Lake; the second hill gives a wider view, though still not of Lake Michigan. The Park Service suggests that if the first climb is a struggle, think twice before pushing on. The dune is also on the move, creeping toward the parking lot by roughly two to four feet a year.
Heat, Sand and Getting Lost
There is no shade. On clear summer days the sand gets very hot, so bring shoes even if you start barefoot. The Park Service checklist is two litres of water per person, sun protection, salty snacks and a plan. Rangers run searches every summer for hikers who are simply overdue, so agree on a turnaround time before splitting up. Cell coverage is unreliable on the plateau, and it is easy to lose the route between posts.
No Dogs Here
Pets are not allowed on the face of the Dune Climb or on the Dunes Trail. There is a pet relief area on the north side of the parking lot. If you are hiking with a dog, the Cottonwood Trail on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is the only dune trail in the park where leashed pets are permitted.
Facilities and Winter
The Dune Climb lot on M-109 has picnic tables, restrooms, a bookstore in summer and parking for buses and RVs, and park passes are sold on site. The paved Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail also reaches the Dune Climb from Glen Haven and Glen Arbor. In winter, sledding is permitted on the Dune Climb between marked posts when there is snow, and a portable toilet is provided.
Hiking tips for Sleeping Bear Dune Climb
- Carry two litres of water per person if you are going all the way to Lake Michigan.
- Wear or pack shoes; summer sand is hot and dune grass shoots can stab bare feet.
- Agree on a meeting time before anyone heads out onto the plateau.
- Follow the blue-tipped posts and keep off the narrow ridge tops, which erode easily.
- Leave the dog at Cottonwood Trail instead; pets are banned at the Dune Climb.
Nearby trails to explore
- Cottonwood Trail
- Sleeping Bear Point Trail
- Alligator Hill Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
The Dune Climb is easy to start and hard to finish if you aim for Lake Michigan. Use TrailMates to find Traverse City hikers heading to the Dune Climb. Download the TrailMates app to connect.