Ski the Sleeping Bear Trail in Leelanau County!
The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is 21 miles of trail & shared roadway that connects Glen Haven, DH Day Campground, the Dune Climb, and the Port Oneida Historic District. The trail is predictably great for cyclists & hikers in warmer months, and thankfully the fun doesn’t stop when the snow flies!
Every winter, a hard-working crew funded by Friends of Sleeping Bear grooms most of the trail with a corduroy base for skate skiing with classic tracks on the outside for classic cross-country skiing. You can read their grooming report for each section, make donations & sign up for reports by email at Friends of Sleeping Bear.
TRAIL MAP & DETAILS FROM FRIENDS OF SLEEPING BEAR
The trail from Glen Arbor to the Dune Climb (4 miles) is relatively flat with beautiful scenery. A loop trail through DH Day Campground and a loop just south of the Dune Climb have been added. You may have to remove your skis to cross M-109 and in Glen Haven.
The section from Empire to Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (3 miles) is also beautiful, but has more challenging slopes. This section will be groomed with one set of classic tracks to allow for wide corduroy for skate skiing.
The trail north of Glen Arbor – from Crystal View trailhead to Port Oneida Road is open for skiing. This section will be groomed again this year. There is also trailhead parking on Thoreson Road at the Bay View trail parking lot.
The newest section of trail from Port Oneida Road to Bohemian Road (CR-669) is open for skiing but is not groomed. Some areas of this section are so close to the highway that snowplows throw sand and salt on the trail.
Trailhead parking is available on Forest Haven Road in Glen Arbor, Glen Haven, the Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Drive, and the corner of Voice Rd and Bar Lake Rd on the north end of Empire. The section of trail north of Glen Arbor has trailhead parking at Crystal View Trailhead, the Bay View Trailhead on Thoreson Road, and on Port Oneida Road.
Note, Pets are not allowed on designated cross-country ski trails from December 1 – March 31. See Park Pet Page for more information.
You can also click for an interactive Google map of the trail.
