Photo: National Park Service Lake Michigan Bike and Hike, Michigan Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 08216A Price: $1,345 Deposit: $200 Capacity: 12 Leader:
The Trip  Photo: National Park Service The beauty of the Lake Michigan shoreline reaches its most dramatic point on the Leelanau Peninsula in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. This area is so special that a nearly continuous stretch of 35 miles of shoreline was protected as the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 1970. Natural highlights of the area include a wilderness of wind-sculpted sand dunes, lovely undeveloped shoreline, several small rivers of remarkable clarity, nearly virgin forests, a variety of beautiful, unspoiled lakes, and open meadows and grasslands decorated with lilacs and wildflowers. The wildlife of the area includes the endangered piping plover, fox, deer, eagles, and osprey.  Photo: National Park Service The culture and history of the region are almost as impressive as its natural features. Several small towns—Empire, Glen Arbor, and Leland—fit nicely into the natural landscape and offer a pleasant variety of restaurants, hotels, and shops. A number of historic sites exist in the area. Glen Haven is a renovated small town on Lake Michigan with shops and buildings from the 1800's. A coast guard museum records the rescue of ships plying the dangerous Manitou passage. Port Oneida preserves a 19th century farming community. On South Manitou Island, we will visit a historic lighthouse, and several farms from the 1800's. The area also contains many remembrances of the logging era. We will see most of this area while on bicycles, traveling from 30 to 50 miles a day on winding, hilly country roads. We will stop at a number of natural places and historic sites to help us get to know the area better, and we will enjoy leisurely picnic lunches in areas with panoramic views of the region's natural beauty. If time allows in the evenings, we will take a number of small hikes, usually 2 to 3 miles, that will bring us to some of the most scenic areas on the Peninsula. Early June is the perfect time to visit the area, right at the junction of spring and summer, and just before the tourists arrive in large numbers. We should have days filled with lots of light, abundant wildflowers, and active birds and other wildlife. At night, we will stay at nice hotels in wonderful settings. One of the days we will take a boat to South Manitou Island and explore this scenic island. A couple of evenings we will have visits from rangers with the national lakeshore, or area writers, who will speak about the interesting natural and cultural history of the area.
 Photo: National Park Service Day 1: The trip will start at 10 a.m., at our hotel on Little Glen Lake, where we will stay for three nights. Highlights of the first day include a visit to the historic town of Glen Haven, a bike ride on the spectacular (and challenging) Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, views of Lake Michigan and of Big and Little Glen Lakes (two of the most scenic lakes in Michigan). After a short rest at the hotel, we will go out to dinner, followed by a short hike to view the sunset over Lake Michigan. Biking distance is approximately 30 miles. Day 2: After breakfast at the hotel, we will head off on our bikes. Our route will take us by back roads to Empire, where we will visit the Empire City Beach and the National Lakeshore Visitor Center. Other highlights of the day include a short ride along the Platte River to a beautiful Lake Michigan Beach on Platte Bay, scenic forests and fields, a visit to Platte Lake , and lunch on the road. Again we will dine out and go for a short hike in the evening. Total mileage for the day is approximately 40-45 miles. Day 3: After breakfast, we will head off on our bikes, stopping for a short visit in the town of Glen Arbor. From there we will follow rural roads into the bucolic heart of the Leelanau Peninsula , visiting a couple of small lakes. We will have lunch at a picturesque spot on the way. We'll have dinner in Glen Arbor, followed by a short evening hike with views of Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands. Total mileage for the day is approximately 35 miles. Day 4: After breakfast we will bike some 30 miles to our next hotel in Leland, where we will stay for the final three nights. A van will carry our gear to the hotel. Once at the hotel we will settle in, go out for dinner, take a short hike in a nearby natural area. Day 5: After breakfast, we will leave our bikes behind and take a ferry to South Manitou Island, where we will have several hours to explore. Highlights of the island include a graceful lighthouse, sandy beaches, historic buildings and farms from the 1800's, a forest of virgin cedar trees, and a shipwreck. Once back in Leland we will have dinner and return to the hotel. Day 6: The day will feature a bike ride around Lake Leelanau, and lunch in the small town of Lake Leelanau. You can choose between two loops. The short loop will take us around north Lake Leelanau and will be only 15 miles. The longer loop will take us around the southern lake and will be forty miles long. Dinner in Leland, and an evening hike, if time allows. Day 7: Breakfast at the hotel and biking to the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula and Leelanau State Park, a perfect spot for migrating birds to make their way across Lake Michigan. Highlights of the day include passing orchards and stopping at Peterson Park to look for Petoskey Stones on the lakeshore. Again there will be two options. The shorter tour is 35 miles. The longer tour is 50 miles. Getting There Participants will be required to be at our hotel on Little Glen at the start of the trip on day one at 10 a.m., with their bikes and all of their gear. It is suggested people book their hotel for Friday night at a hotel or campground nearby. The leader will help where possible getting people to the starting point, and will try to coordinate the sharing of rides. Airports include the Traverse City Airport , thirty miles away, and the Grand Rapids Airport, 120 miles away. A bike shop in Traverse City will help people with putting their bikes together if they had to be broken down for the plane ride.
The six nights of the trip we will be staying at two nice hotels with full facilities. The trip price is based on double occupancy; a single supplement of $325 will be added if not sharing a room. The trip price also includes six breakfasts and seven lunches. Vegetarians can be accommodated. Suppers will be together but are not included in the trip price. The restaurants for supper will mostly be bar type restaurants that serve nice meals ranging from $8 to $14 for most entrees.
The trip is listed as moderate. Distances on the bike will range from 20 to 50 miles, with a variety of hills. A couple of the days there will be a choice of a longer or a shorter ride. Participants should be in good shape and be experienced bikers. We will be visiting in the early season, so traffic should be low and we will choose routes that seek to avoid car traffic.
Please bring road bikes, locks, extra inner tubes, tires, and the tool and ability to make routine fixes on bikes. We will make every effort to get your bike to a mechanic if necessary. A pack to carry extra clothes, snacks, medicine, rain gear, hiking shoes, and water is also necessary. If you are interested in renting a bike, a leader can provide names of bike shops in the area. Participants will be sent a gear list.
The Literature of the Sleeping Bear Dunes area and Leelanau Peninsula is varied and extensive. Because of the rural beauty of the area it has attracted a number of writers and artists. Some of my favorites include:
www.nps.gov.slbe The National Park Service's website Bicycle Map of Northwest Michigan cost $7 and is available at www.cherry-capital.com/cccc Conservation While much of the area is preserved in the national lakeshore, there are still many environmental concerns. The area is attracting more and more development, which of course degrades the natural beauty. A few years ago there was an attempt by one of the main developers to build a golf course on the beautiful and fragile Crystal River. There are several issues relating to the Lake Michigan fisheries and water quality, and there are a number of endangered species in the area. We will talk about all of these issues.
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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Kevin Breen has led national Sierra Club trips for twelve years, with trips in Alaska, the Yukon, Grand Staircase/Escalante in Utah, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, and elsewhere. He has been going to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for 37 years, and it is one of his favorite places in the world. His short story, Sister Leelanau, about biking the Leelanau Peninsula as a boy, can be sent to those who are interested.