Superintendent Dusty Shultz welcomes Ryan Locke to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as a Transportation Interpreter, a position sponsored by the National Park Foundation (NPF) and through the generous support of Ford Motor Company, Proud Partner of America’s National Parks.

Locke, from Spring Lake, Michigan, will spend the summer creating and offering bicycle tours to the public and promoting the use of alternative transportation in the National Lakeshore.

Locke is one of 18 students working in 15 national parks across the country providing visitors with information about the many alternative modes of transportation available to them.

“While we will still be offering daily ranger-led walks, historical demonstrations, and evening campground programs, thanks to NPF and Ford, park visitors and locals may choose another way to see and learn about the National Lakeshore with a knowledgeable guide,” said Shultz. “Ryan worked with us as an intern in maintenance and cultural resources last year, so he is quite familiar with the park and is very excited about pioneering these bike programs.”

Locke will pedal on two different routes, Wednesdays through Saturdays, beginning on June 25. The easy to moderate rides will cover between seven and ten miles and last approximately two hours.

Topics are:

• Backroads, Farms, and Forests: South of Empire, through an agricultural landscape, ghost town, and former logging area. Thursdays at 11:00 a.m., Fridays at 5:00 p.m., Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.
• Discovering Cultural Landscapes: North of Glen Arbor, through the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m., Fridays at 11:00 a.m., Saturdays at 5:00 p.m.

No reservations are needed, and participants need only purchase the park entrance pass to join in the fun ($10/vehicle valid for seven days or $20/vehicle for an entire year).

When planning to attend a program, be prepared for all kinds of weather, dress appropriately, and wear a bike helmet.

For more information about the schedule, meeting locations, or other Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore activities, call the Visitor Center at 231-326-5134, ext. 328 or go to www.nps.gov/slbe.

A chilly June means looking for great beach alternatives. Look no further than the Blacksmith Shop and other exhibits in the historic hamlet of Glen Haven just south of Glen Arbor off M-109.

The red building, built in the 1860s, is the original Blacksmith Shop. There’s not much use for a blacksmith these days, but before 1920, if something made of metal broke, the only way to get it fixed was to take it to the blacksmith. These fellows made horseshoes, fixed chains, anchors, and just about anything made of metal. Today, you can still hear the ping of the blacksmith’s hammer on a summer day, no matter the temperature outside.

The Blacksmith Shop is operational most days in the summer, staffed by volunteers. You can watch the blacksmith take a piece of iron, heat it in the forge and pound out useful shapes and parts. The exhibit is very interactive, so feel free to ask questions. You can see some of the parts they have made in the shop and ask the blacksmith questions about his trade or the history of the local area. While you are watching, you will learn about D. H. Day and his role in developing the Glen Haven area.

Hours: June to early October, daily depending on available staff, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan

Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan offers trolling for steelhead (large, lake run rainbow trout), brown trout and salmon May through October.  Good fishing for everything from carp and smallmouth bass to steelhead and salmon can be had right around the Manitou Islands almost all summer long.  Commercial charter trips are available by contacting the charters directly.  Boat launches are available on both East and West arms of Grand Traverse Bay, Frankfort, and Glen Arbor.  Guided carp wading trips are available May through June on Grand Traverse Bay; these are fly fishing only trips where the scenery of Lake Michigan–combined with stalking and sight casting to feeding carp (also known as “the poor man’s bonefish”) is on par with what an angler might experience wading the salt flats of Belize.  Contact Streamside Orvis for a list of licensed/insured captains and local carp fishing guides.  Rates vary but are tycally per/angler with a minimum rate and a maximum number of anglers.  (Approximate rates are $75/angler with a $300 minimum for 3-4 hours) Most charters offer 3 or 4 hour morning and afternoon trips.

Inland Lakes

Imagine portaging a canoe or hauling a belly boat through the woods of the Sleeping Bear Dunes and emerging on the banks of your own private fishing hole.  Many crystal clear lakes and backwoods beaver ponds can be found around The Homestead offer fishing for bluegills, largemouth bass, perch, sunfish, walleye, northern pike, catfish, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout, carp, and lake trout.  All you need is a sense of adventure and some local knowledge on where to go.  Check with Streamside Orvis for the type of fish and locations.

Local Rivers

The Homestead Resort is surrounded by several Blue Ribbon trout streams.  The Boardman, Manistee, and Platte are just a few of the great trout streams that are available to anglers. The Crystal River that runs through The Homestead holds steelhead in March and April as well as several species of salmon in September, October, and November.  Both “flies only” and bait sections are available on some rivers. The Manistee and Boardman Rivers are the best wadable rivers nearest The Homestead.  Both have easy access.  Streamside Orvis will offer directions for anglers at no charge.

The Homestead/Trout Pond

The Homestead maintains a private trout pond on the grounds for fly casting schools, instruction, and paying guests.  This pond holds rainbow, brown, and brook trout.  Resort guests must get permission from Streamside Orvis before fishing the pond.  A strict “Flies Only, Catch and Release” policy is in effect.  Check in at Streamside to sign up and pay fees.  Tackle is also available.  No license is necessary to fish this pond.

Would you like to visit a beaver pond, smell spring wildflowers, search for morels, or identify migrating birds? Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is the place to do all that and more.  Spring is an excellent time to hike and National Park Rangers are looking forward to sharing some of their favorite places in the National Lakeshore with you during five “Saturdays at the Lakeshore” in May.

Every Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m., a Park Ranger will await you at the Visitor Center in Empire on M-72 to introduce a topic and then lead a car caravan a short distance to where the walk will begin.  Each week, a different topic and location in the park will be featured. 

May 3 – Mushrooms for Beginners

Learn how to tell a real morel from a false morel and how to identify several easy spring mushrooms.  The ranger will also explain the life of a mushroom and provide some tips on where to find your favorite variety.

May 10 – The World of Frogs

What would spring be without the sound of frogs?  Why are they singing and why are they disappearing all around the world?  What might they be trying to tell us?  Learn to identify several local varieties by sight and sound.  This is a great outdoor adventure for the whole family.

May 17 – Hike to a Beaver Lodge

Look for one of the few animals that dramatically engineers their environment and has played a major role in this region’s history.  See a dam, lodge, canals, and tunnels while learning more about beavers and their logging operations.

May 24 – A Flurry of Wild Flowers

Few places on earth have an abundance of wildflowers as the hardwood forest of Northwest Michigan in the spring.  Join a ranger to marvel at this annual display of native plants as you hike through one of the best wildflower habitats in the region.  

May 31 – Returning Birds

Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day by joining a ranger to welcome back several species of migratory birds. Learn about their winter adventures in far off lands and the distances they travel in between.  This is a great opportunity for beginning birders.  Binoculars provided.

Participants need only purchase the park entrance pass or have an annual pass to join in the fun.  Reservations are not required, but are suggested if you wish to bring a group.

Please call 231-326-5134, extension 328, for details or log onto www.nps.gov/slbe.

Do you really think you saw a cougar?  Now you can compare what you saw to a real one.  The National Park Service (NPS) has added a cougar mount to the exhibits at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s Visitor Center in Empire.  The public is invited to stop in and view this majestic animal, often reported within the Lakeshore and surrounding area. The mount is on temporary loan from Michigan State University Museum in East Lansing, MI.

The cougar once claimed much of North America as part of its home range, but is now thought to have been extirpated from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.  The last reported wild cougar was taken in the Upper Peninsula near Newberry in 1906.  Despite this, there have been numerous reports of cougar sightings throughout the Lower Peninsula and the Lakeshore during the past several years.  National Park Service biologists, however, have been unable to verify even one report with physical evidence.

“We are pleased to not only be able to display one of Michigan’s historic predators, but perhaps also to provide an educational tool so that visitors have a basis upon which to evaluate these reported observations,” said Dusty Shultz, Lakeshore Superintendent.  ”We are grateful to Michigan State for loaning us the mount through the end of this year.”

From November 2004 through April 2005, researchers conducted studies on more than 150 miles of roads and trails that crossed through all major habitat types in the Lakeshore, utilizing three methods to attempt to document cougar presence:  remote motion-sensing camera systems; track surveys; and investigations of reported observations of cougars or their sign.  These methods have been used in numerous studies elsewhere to assess cougar presence.

The motion-sensing cameras were operational for 863 nights and not a single image of a cougar was obtained.  However, many other animals were documented, including bobcat, coyote, red fox, domestic dog, house cat, raccoon, deer, several bird species, red squirrel, and humans.  Snow track surveys were conducted on over 304 miles of roads and trails, and nearly 460 carnivore tracks were identified including 22 bobcat, 300 coyote, and 40 red fox, as well as striped skunk, river otter, mink, and weasel.  During the course of the study, five reported sightings of cougars or their tracks were investigated, all within 24 hours.  No cougar sign was found at any of these reported sighting areas, but tracks were identified by biologists as bobcat, coyote, or domestic dog.

Although the six months of intensive study did not yield any physical evidence to support the reported presence of cougars in the park, sightings continue to persist.  National Lakeshore biologists maintain a database of reported cougar sightings and investigate them as quickly as possible.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Visitor Center is located on highway M-72 in Empire.  It is open from 8:15 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. through Memorial Day and until 6:00 p.m. after the holiday.  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of over 390 sites saved by the American people and administered by the National Park Service so that all may experience our heritage.  For more information about the park, please click here.

Who doesn’t want to get outside and go for a hike now that spring is in the air?  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s popular Saturday afternoon ranger-guided hikes give you a variety of topics and reasons to get outside for an afternoon in April. 

All programs will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Visitor Center at Empire.  Hikes are offered every Saturday in April, May, and June.  Daily in July and August.  Saturday afternoon hikes resume again in September and October. Schools and other groups are welcome to request walks and tours with National Park Rangers throughout the year.

April 12-The World of Frogs

What would spring be without the sound of frogs? Why are they singing and why are they disappearing all around the world?  Are they trying to tell us something? Join Ranger Peggy to study frogs in their natural environment. Learn to identify several local varieties by sight and sound. This is a great outdoor adventure for the whole family

April 19-A Flurry of Early Wild Flowers

Few places on earth have such an abundance of wildflowers as the spring hardwood forest of Northwest Michigan. Join a ranger to marvel at this annual display of early spring wildflowers as your hike through one of the best wildflower habitats in the region.  

April 26-Junior Ranger Day! 

Special morning and afternoon activities for everyone to earn their Junior Ranger badge.  Details on this and other National Park Week celebration events will be announced separately.

Meet at the Visitor Center where the Park Ranger will give an overview of the day’s program.  Then, travel a short distance in your car to a specific location to begin your hike or walk.  Be prepared for outdoor conditions and plan to stay out until about 3:00 p.m.  The ranger-led hikes are mildly strenuous, yet they proceed at a leisurely pace for approximately one and a half miles.  This allows visitors an opportunity to look for signs of wildlife, former settlers, and ancient glaciers or to simply experience more of the National Lakeshore. 

The hikes are free and reservations are not required; participants need only purchase a park pass to participate ($10/vehicle, valid for seven days; or $20/vehicle, for an entire year). 

For more information about the schedule or other Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore activities, please call the Visitor Center at 231-326-5134 or click here. 

Now that the snow has arrived, join a National Park Ranger on snowshoes and explore Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in all its winter splendor! Snowshoe walks are offered every Saturday beginning December 29, and continuing through the end of February. Meet at the Lakeshore Visitor Center in Empire at 1:00 p.m. If you don’t have your own, snowshoes will be provided free of charge. If there is not enough snow, rangers will still offer a guided winter hike.

Inside the Visitor Center, park rangers will first provide basic snowshoeing instructions, and then everyone will travel by car to the trailhead or area the ranger has pre-selected. Once there, the ranger will encourage participants to learn about the park’s unique features and winter’s effect on them. Visitors should arrive prepared and plan to be outside until about 3:00 p.m. To be most comfortable, dress in layers and wear waterproof boots.

Not only is snowshoeing easy, fun, and good exercise, it is also an activity that can be enjoyed by all ages. The ranger-led hikes are mildly strenuous, yet they proceed at a leisurely pace for only one and a half miles at the most. This allows visitors an opportunity for discovery, adventure, and to look for signs of wildlife or evidence of ancient glaciers. Some snowshoers simply want to experience and enjoy a winter wonderland, and that is what you will find at the National Lakeshore.

The National Park Service has a supply of snowshoes for use within the Lakeshore. Participants need only purchase the park entrance pass or have an annual pass to join in the fun. Reservations are not required but are suggested, especially if you wish to borrow snowshoes or are with a group. Please call 231-326-5134, extension 328, for details and to make reservations. For more in-depth information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, go to www.nps.gov/slbe.