Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore wasn’t originally on our list of places to visit. We heard recommendations to go from so many different sources though that we decided to make it a stop on our way back down from the UP. I managed to get 1 night as a fairly last minute cancelation at Platte River Campground. We considered a single night a win since this place books up so far in advance.
We made our visit to the visitor center first thing and got our Jr Ranger books. The Ranger at the info desk was super helpful and let us know about a special Jr Angler program the next day as well as suggesting a good kid friendly beach and the scenic drive.
We started off at Esch Beach which was absolutely perfect. Clear, blue water, nice sand beaches, and not too many people that it felt overrun. I’ve become a huge fan of Lake Michigan. We played in the waves for a bit and then came onto the beach to dry off and warm up in the sun. The kids played in the sand for a while.
Then we got into the car and headed to the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. The overlooks here are beautiful and the drive was a nice break. The last overlook is to a steep sand hill that apparently people find enjoyment running down and then climbing back up. There was a boys cross country team climbing it when I walked over. I wasn’t up for the climb.
The next morning we went to the Jr Angler Ranger program where the kids learned basics of fishing, and earned one of the NPS specialty badges, as well as got their very own fishing rods and tackle!
It turns our Sleeping Bear Dunes is the place to accumulate Jr Ranger badges. They’re also celebrating their 50th anniversary so they had a special Jr Ranger book just for that. In all the kids each got a special 50th anniversary badge, and Jr Ranger patch, and a Jr Angler badge. Not a bad haul.
If we lived closer I could easily see this park becoming an annual family camping trip.
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