Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Overview

D.H. Day Campground is located in the northern district of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on the lower peninsula of Michigan. 

This rustic campground is one of the most popular in Northern Michigan and is open (weather permitting) from April 27 through the 4th Sunday in November. Reservations are required May 15 through October 15. Campsites are within walking distance of the Lake Michigan shoreline and a short drive to many popular features in the park. Summer temperatures range from the upper 70s to 90 degrees F (25° to 32° C) during the day, and from the 50s to 70 degrees F (10° to 25° C) at night. 

Recreation

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore's rustic D.H. Day Campground is beautifully wooded.

• Campers can swim, canoe, kayak, fish and relax along the shoreline of the campground.

• The multi-use Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail passes through the campground opening up 20+ miles (32 km) of biking and hiking.

• There are canoe and bicycle rentals nearby in the village of Glen Arbor. The historic village of Glen Haven is a short 15-minute walk away.

• Multiple hiking trails, the Dune Climb, and the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive are just a short drive away.

• D.H. Day Campground is the perfect launching point for a fun-filled stay at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Facilities

• With 81 beautifully wooded campsites, shared water spigots, and vault toilets, D.H. Day provides a more rustic camping experience. 
• Free hot showers are available at Platte River Campground, located 17 miles (27 km) south along highway M-22. 
• Each campsite has a parking area, large picnic table, fire ring and tent pad. Firewood is also sold in the campgound at a self-pay station.

Natural Features

D.H. Day Campground lies in the middle of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore near the historic village of Glen Haven. The spacious wooded campsites are no more than a 5-minute walk to the Lake Michigan beach. Features include northern hardwood and conifer forests, old farm meadows, wetlands, lakes, streams, bogs, and splendid examples of glacially formed landscapes. The beautiful, perched sand dunes, for which the parked is named, are just a few minutes' drive from the campground.   

Nearby Attractions

To the East and North:

• 1.5 miles - Village of Glen Arbor - the Crystal River winds through on its way to Lake Michigan

• 5.7 miles - Port Onieda Historic District can be found 5.7 miles to the North.

• 20 miles - The Harbor Town of Leland serves as the gateway to both North and South Manitou Islands. 

To the West and South:

• 0.7 miles - Alligator Hill Trail

• 0.8 miles - Historic Village of Glen Haven & the General Store bookstore (0.8 miles), the Maritime Museum (1.1 miles), and the Sleeping Bear Point Trail (1.4 miles).

• 2.0 miles - The Dune Climb and Dune Center bookstore.

• 4.2 miles - Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, the location of the Lake Michigan Overlook

• 7.5 miles - Village of Empire

Contact Info

For local information, please call (231) 326-4700 or call (877) 444-6777 for general information.

Charges & Cancellations

Overview

D.H. Day Group Campground is a tent-only facility located in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, about one mile (1.6 km) north of the Dune Climb, where visitors can walk over miles of sand dunes. This year-round campground has four sites which accommodate groups of 7 to 25 people.

Recreation

D.H. Day Group is a hub for water activities. Motorized and non-motorized boating is allowed on the lake, with restrictions, and there is a boat ramp about six miles away by which boaters can access Lake Michigan. Campers can also rent canoes and kayaks in the town of Glen Harbor to float the nearby Crystal River. The beach at Glen Haven, which is popular for beachcombing and swimming, is about one mile away from the campground. There are no lifeguards on duty at the park's beaches.

The facility is also close to the Dune Climb, where visitors can climb on sand dunes over 200 feet high, walk more than 1.5 miles on the dunes to Lake Michigan and catch a great view of Glen Lake.

Facilities

• Picnic tables, food storage boxes, and campfire rings are provided at each campsite.

• Each campsite has a designated area where tents must be pitched.

• The campground has drinking water during the reservation season, but the water is shut off from October 16 through April 26 (weather permitting).

• Pets and RVs are not allowed in the group sites.

• Access to the campground is via a dirt road.

Natural Features

The campground is open with sparse vegetation. Contrary to the park's name, bears are rarely sighted here, yet other wildlife such as birds, deer and wild turkey may be seen.

Although the Lake Michigan shore is long and narrow, it has northern hardwood and conifer forests, abandoned farm meadows, wetlands, lakes, streams, bogs and splendid examples of a glacially formed landscape.

The most prominent features in the park, for which it was named, are the perched sand dunes above Lake Michigan. The overlooks at Sleeping Bear, Empire and Pyramid Point bluffs are about 400 feet above the lake. With 65 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and numerous inland lakes and streams, the park is wonderfully water-oriented.

Nearby Attractions

To the East and North:

• 1.3 miles - Alligator Hill Trail - via Harwood Road (E), M-109 (S), Day Farm Road (E), & Stocking Road (N).

• 1.5 miles - Historic Village of Glen Haven & the General Store bookstore

• 2.0 miles - Maritime Museumand

• 2.3 miles - Sleeping Bear Point Trail

• 3.2 miles - Village of Glen Arbor - where the Crystal River winds through town to Lake Michigan.

• 7.3 miles - Port Onieda Historic District.

• 21.8 miles - The Harbor Town of Leland serves as the gateway to both North and South Manitou Islands. 

To the South:

• 1.5 miles - The Dune Climb and Dune Center bookstore.

• 3.5 miles - Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, home of the Lake Michigan Overlook. 

• 6.5 miles - Village of Empire.

Contact Info

For local information, please call (231) 326-4700 or call (877) 444-6777 for general information.

Charges & Cancellations

Overview

Platte River Campground is located in the southern district of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on the lower peninsula of Michigan.
This year-round facility is one of the most popular campgrounds in the park. It is within walking distance of the Platte River and a short walk or drive away from the Lake Michigan shore. Hikers can access many of the area's day use and backpacking trails just north of the campground.

Summer temperatures range from the upper 70s to 90 degrees F (25° to 32° C) during the day, and from the 50s to 70 degrees F (10° to 25° C) at night. 

Winters are cold, with daytime highs from 20° to 30° F (-7° to -1° C) and lows in the 10s and 20s F (-12 to -7° C). Snow is usually on the ground from late November through March.

Recreation

Campers can hike, canoe, kayak and fish on the river or the lake. There are canoe rentals at nearby Platte River Point, where the river meets the lake (the point also has beach access for those wishing to drive there). The Platte Plains trail system boasts more than 25 miles (40 km) of trails, some of which can be accessed a short walk away from the campground. Trails to the primitive White Pine backcountry campground are also close by.

Facilities

This facility is well-maintained, well-organized and offers a wide variety of sites, including back-in and pull-through sites with electric hookups for RVs, non-electric sites, walk-to sites, group sites (hike-in, tent-only) and a nearby backcountry campground. Each site has a campfire ring and picnic table. Each loop has restrooms with flush toilets and sinks. Hot showers are also available. The group sites allow no more than 25 people per site; pets and RVs are not permitted in them.

Natural Features

The campground lies in a wooded area within walking distance of the Platte River and less than two miles (3.2 km) away from the beaches of Lake Michigan. Although the lakeshore is long and narrow, it has northern hardwood and conifer forests, abandoned farm meadows, wetlands, lakes, streams, bogs and splendid examples of a glacially formed landscape.


The most prominent features in the park, and those for which it is named, are the perched sand dunes above Lake Michigan. The overlooks at Sleeping Bear, Empire and Pyramid Point bluffs are about 400 feet (122 m) above the lake. With 65 miles (105 km) of Lake Michigan shoreline and numerous inland lakes and streams, the park is wonderfully water-oriented.

Contact Info

For local information, please call (231) 326-4700 or call (877) 444-6777 for general information.

Charges & Cancellations

The Popple Campground is the furthest from the dock (about 3.5 miles), so you are likely to have fewer people camping there. The campground is close to the beach on the northern tip of the island. Bring water filtration equipment since there is no source of purified drinking water. There are 7 individual sites