3 days · Best in summer or fall
A Sleeping Bear long weekend
Three days from Frankfort to Glen Arbor, with two lighthouses, a Crystal Lake swim, the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and the Dune Climb.
This long weekend suits families and first-timers who want the dunes without rushing. It covers the southern half of the Sleeping Bear shore at an easy pace: a harbor town and two lighthouses, a swim in Crystal Lake and the scenic drive, then the Dune Climb and Glen Arbor.
Day 1: Frankfort and Point Betsie. Walk Main Street in Frankfort to the end and you are on the public beach, looking out at the North Breakwater Lighthouse. Downtown has shops and galleries a few blocks back. Drive north along the shore to Point Betsie, where you can tour the museum and climb the tower in season, then walk the beach beside it. Come early on summer days, since the free lot fills. Sleep in Frankfort.
Day 2: Crystal Lake and the scenic drive. Swim at the village beach in Beulah, at the east end of Crystal Lake, where a marked swim area sits over a sandy bottom. The water is clear and stays cold. The village has a few places to eat. Then head north to Empire and stop at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center for your park pass and a map. In the afternoon, drive the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, a 7.4-mile one-way loop with 12 stops. Stop 9, the Lake Michigan Overlook, is the big view; it takes a steep path to reach. End at Empire’s village beach for the sunset.
Day 3: The Dune Climb and Glen Arbor. Get to the Dune Climb early, climb as far as you like and turn around whenever you want. Lake Michigan is out of sight from the top. Then bike or walk the Heritage Trail north through Glen Haven, where the Maritime Museum fills an old life-saving station, to Glen Arbor. Swim at the end of Lake Street, or at Old Settler’s Park on Glen Lake, which usually runs warmer. Galleries and places to eat line M-22. Sleep in Glen Arbor or Empire.
The tradeoff. You change bases once. It saves backtracking, but it means packing up on day 2.
Book ahead. We’d reserve both nights early for a summer weekend. Buy your park pass online before you go if you can, and if you plan to walk the full Dunes Trail to Lake Michigan, agree on a turnaround time and carry plenty of water.
The route
Day 1
Walk Main Street west to the public beach and playground.
Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse
Seen from the city beach. Stay off the pier when the waves are up.
Free parking fills on busy summer days. Tours run seasonally.
Day 2
The village beach has a marked swim area over a sandy bottom.
Clear and cold. Check the wind before you paddle; whitecaps are common.
Buy or show your park entrance pass at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center.
Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Open to vehicles late spring to late fall; check road status.
Day 3
Wear shoes and carry water. The full trail to Lake Michigan is 3.5 hard miles round trip.
The Dune Climb to Glen Arbor stretch is about 4 miles and relatively flat.
Sleeping Bear Point Maritime Museum
Typically staffed Memorial Day to Labor Day. Check current hours.
Swim at the end of Lake Street or at Old Settler's Park on Glen Lake.
Route map: A Sleeping Bear long weekend
11 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Practical notes
- A national park entrance pass is required in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. See the park's website for current fees and where to buy one.
- Summer weekends are busy at the most popular overlooks and trailheads. Start early.
- Drive times on this site are estimates. Use a map app for current routes and road conditions.