Michigan

Looking for endless sandy beaches? What to know about Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes

Published

10 months ago

May 21, 2025

Press Room

Looking for endless sandy beaches? What to know about Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a popular tourist attraction on the coast of Lake Michigan in northwest Michigan.
The national lakeshore features sand, beaches, forests, inland lakes, islands, historic villages and more.
Visitors can buy entrance passes online or in person to check out the national lakeshore.

A trip to northwest Michigan this summer can land you at one of Michigan’s national lakeshores, a top attraction for those seeking sweeping views, trails to hike and beaches to relax on.

The popular tourist destination, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, welcomes 1.5 million visitors each year with its expansive sand dunes and sandy beaches, former Life-Saving Service/Coast Guard stations, inland Manitou islands, a historic farm district and coastal village, inland lakes, 1871 lighthouse, forests and campgrounds, according to the National Park Service.

“The park was established primarily for its outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena,” Pure Michigan says.

Michigan’s other national lakeshore is Pictured Rocks, which features the towering Grand Sable Dunes on Lake Superior.

Here’s what to know about Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore.

What is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore?

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a popular tourist destination and one of two national lakeshores in Michigan.

Where is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore?

The lakeshore lies along 35 miles of Lake Michigan’s eastern shoreline in west Michigan northwest of Traverse City. Nearby are the villages of Glen Arbor and Empire. The lakeshore is about 39 miles from Traverse City. M-22 runs north and south along the lakeshore.

How can you visit this season?

To visit the lakeshore, you will need a national parks entrance pass, which you then display on your car. You can buy the pass ahead online or in person at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center.

If you’re planning a camping trip, you’ll need to book a reservation at one of the lakeshore’s campgrounds; you can reserve up to six months in advance.

How much do lakeshore passes cost?

Entrance passes to the lakeshore include a $25 standard pass, with varying prices for larger vehicles; $45 annual pass and America the Beautiful pass at varying prices. There are also seven-day digital passes.

The America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands pass is $80 for an annual pass, $80 for a senior lifetime pass, $20 for a senior annual pass and free for military annual pass, military lifetime pass, access pass, fourth grade pass, and volunteer pass.

The following will be national park free entrance days in 2025:

Juneteenth National Independence Day: June 19
Great American Outdoors Acts Anniversary: Aug. 4
National Public Lands Day: Sept. 27
Veterans Day: Nov. 11

Are there beaches, other activities at the lakeshore?

The national lakeshore offers sand dunes, beaches, trails, inland islands, camping, forests, rivers, inland lakes, a lighthouse and more. The tallest dune is 450 feet.

For those looking to relax near the water, the park offers seven beaches. Platte River Point Beach includes the gently-flowing river’s mouth at Lake Michigan, a popular place for canoers and tubers to pause before loading up for home.

While visiting, you can hike the lakeshore’s various trails, bike the paved heritage trail, swim at the beach, set up camp, navigate the dunes, kayak or tube or canoe the rivers, take a trip to the Manitou Islands, explore historic coastal villages and museums and and more, per the lakeshore website.

What islands are part of the lakeshore?

The lakeshore features two inland islands, the Manitou Islands. The North and South Manitou Islands form part of an island chain spanning north toward the Straits of Mackinac. The islands offer hiking and camping in vast nature and the nearby Manitou Passage State Underwater Preserve to explore shipwrecks.

North Manitou Island is closed for the 2025 season amid a multi-year project to move the islands’ docks.

On South Manitou Island, there are 10 miles of pebble beaches, a lighthouse, sand dunes, village, over 500-year-old white cedar trees, campgrounds, historic tours and more, per the NPS website.

How can you get to the islands?

The islands are accessible by Manitou Island Transit ferry service from Leland, Michigan or by private boat. The islands do not have food service, stores or medical centers, so come prepared and be aware emergency responders may take hours or days to arrive, depending on weather.

To access the islands, you need an entrance pass to the lakeshore. Pets are not allowed on the islands.

How many lighthouses are at the lakeshore?

The lakeshore features one lighthouse, located on South Manitou Island. The 100-foot South Manitou Island Lighthouse was in operation from 1871-1958, per the lakeshore’s website.

Previously, North Manitou Island Lighthouse, built in the late 1890s stood, joined by a lightship in 1910, until 1927. The light was replaced by the current North Manitou Shoal Light, an offshore beacon, completed in 1935, according to the North Manitou Light Keepers.

Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.

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Michigan

Michigan school bus driver wins national hero award

Published

8 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Michigan school bus driver wins national hero award

LANSING, Mich. (InvestigateTV) — A Lansing school bus driver has won a national award for going above and beyond behind the wheel.

Jackie Wilkerson-Brown, known as Miss Jackie by students, transports children to and from Lansing’s Gardner and Lewton schools. She recently became the first recipient of the 2025 School Bus Driver Hero Award.

“I was like, seriously, seriously, seriously, and I just started crying,” Wilkerson-Brown said.

The award was presented by School Bus Fleet Magazine. Teachers and parents nominated Wilkerson-Brown for the honor.

Known for being fun and firm

Wilkerson-Brown is known for being fun and firm with students. She hands out candy and leads students in games like the name game on rides home.

“Being a mirror bus driver is just sitting in your bus and, ‘Sit down, stop doing that, stop jumping over the seat,’” Wilkerson-Brown said. “You have to sometimes get up out of your seat and face-to-face with your children.”

Posters of positivity line the inside of her bus.

“I keep it on my bus, and I just try to remind the kids that, you know, smile,” she said. “Kind vibes, happy lives.”

‘Unbelievable honor’

Patrick Dean, president of Dean Transportation, said the recognition is significant.

“This is an unbelievable honor for Jackie,” Dean said. “Jackie exemplifies everything it means to be a superhero bus driver.”

Todd Sharp, operations manager for Dean Transportation, said Wilkerson-Brown treats students as her own.

“When those students step up on her bus, she treats them as her own. They’re her children while they’re in her care,” Sharp said.

Wilkerson-Brown said she loves her job.

“I’m trying not to get emotional, because I love my job, I love what I do,” she said. “If you call my phone right now, the message is going to say, ‘Hey I’m busy being awesome.’ So, because I am awesome, I am awesome, and then to receive this award, and then it came and I’m employed by Dean Transportation, oh, my God, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Michigan

Showers, thunderstorms expected to hit SE Michigan Thursday — What to know

Published

20 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Showers, thunderstorms expected to hit SE Michigan Thursday — What to know

4Warn Weather Alert issued for Thursday afternoon, evening

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop Thursday afternoon and evening in Metro Detroit.

A 4Warn Weather Alert was issued for the afternoon and evening of March 26 due to the threat of severe storms across Southeast Michigan.

Latest forecast –> A warmer Wednesday across Metro Detroit before severe weather threat arrives Thursday

Here’s what to expect:

Timeframe

3 p.m. to 9 p.m. is the wide window, but latest model data is trending to pull the more widespread severe threat through between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Where storms will hit

There is still uncertainty as to how far north the instability will reach. From I-696/I-96 south, there is a slight (level 2 out of 5) risk for severe weather. A marginal (level 1) risk is from I-696 to around I-69.

Damaging winds, tornado probabilities

All threats are on the table, but hail and tornadoes will be the most significant.

Hail: Conditions will be favorable for large hail (up to 2 inch/tennis ball-sized) even in the marginal risk area.
Wind: Damaging wind potential will be little greater closer to the Ohio state line. However, most of the area will be at risk for isolated damaging wind gusts greater than 60 mph.
Tornadoes: Tornado probabilities are a little higher in our southern communities, but isolated strong (EF-2+) tornadoes are not out of the question across much of Southeast Michigan.
Flooding: Heavy downpours are possible, but flash flood risk remains low.

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Michigan

Experts reveal where Michigan’s gas comes from and why pump prices continue to rise

Published

1 day ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Experts reveal where Michigan’s gas comes from and why pump prices continue to rise

LANSING, Mich. — No matter where Michiganders go, they’re paying more to fill up, but experts say there’s a lot that goes into those rising prices.

According to AAA, Michigan’s gas price average hit $4.01 on Tuesday, which is about $1.10 higher than a month ago.

The prices echo what’s being paid for crude oil, which sits just below $100 a barrel.

That’s being driven by the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point for the world’s oil.

But what Michigan drivers are putting in their car isn’t impacted by that, at least not when it comes to transportation of the oil used in domestic gasoline.

“You have some oil coming from Canada, you have oil coming from literally out in the middle of the Gulf of America, as we call it today, coming up from Texas, it comes on pipelines from out west, from the Dakotas.,” Michigan Petroleum Association President Mark Griffin said.

The U.S. is a net exporter of oil, meaning it produces more than it uses, but even with a large domestic supply, high prices are the result of basic economics.

“It’s much like if you were to buy a share of stock from a company today at a hundred bucks and we find out tomorrow that they’re the only source for this widget that we all have to have and their stock rises up to $200,” Griffin said. “The company did nothing unique on that day, but their stock went up and now it’s worth more. That same thing happens to us with crude oil.”

Griffin, who also represents convenience store owners, says there’s not much gas stations can do.

“The typical gas station, about 70% of their gross sales is motor fuel, but it’s only 30% of their profit,” he said. “Retailers have to adjust their prices first to be able to pay for replacement costs. If you’re buying 10,000 gallons at a time and the price goes up 50, 70 cents a gallon, like we’ve seen, you have to raise your prices now to be able to afford that next load or you’ll go out of business.”

Other pressures facing fuel include the annual switch to the summer blend of gas that can temporarily lower supply and boost prices.

Michigan’s gas tax structure also changed this year, leading to a price increase, according to Griffin.

To stay competitive, Griffin says many gas stations do try to sell below cost, hoping to ease the burden and bring customers in.

“Our in-store sales go down because people literally just don’t have the money in their pocket to spend inside the store,” he said. “That’s one reason why we would much rather see these costs go down.”

So, there’s not much drivers can do to escape the high prices, but AAA has tips.

“Now is a really good time for drivers to consider shopping around,” AAA Michigan Spokesperson Adrienne Woodland said. “They may want consider paying cash for gasoline. Some retailers charge more if you use a credit card. Now is also a great time for drivers to enroll in fuel reward savings programs”

Otherwise, both Griffin and Woodland believe gas prices will remain volatile alongside oil prices, so it’s not clear whether they will come down any time soon.

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