Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Leelanau Peninsula

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore protects about 35 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline in northwest Michigan, with dunes perched hundreds of feet above the water. Its name comes from the Anishinaabe story of a mother bear who swam across the lake with her two cubs to escape a forest fire; the Manitou Islands offshore are said to be the cubs. A park entrance pass is required, and Traverse City is the nearest base.

1. Day 1 · The dunesBegin at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire, then drive the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, a loop with overlooks high above Lake Michigan and Glen Lake. In the afternoon, try the Dune Climb or, for a gentler outing, walk the Empire Bluff Trail for one of the park's best views. Watch the sun set over the lake from Glen Arbor's beach.
2. Day 2 · Leelanau villages and wine countryFollow the shoreline north through the Leelanau Peninsula's small harbour towns, stopping in Leland's historic Fishtown, where weathered fishing shanties line the river. Spend the afternoon at the peninsula's wineries and farm stands, then finish in Traverse City, known for its cherries and its waterfront on Grand Traverse Bay.