Bicycle Tours Offered at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

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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). 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 10 students working in nine national parks across the country providing visitors with invaluable 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 the National Park Foundation, park visitors and locals may choose another way to see and learn about the National Lakeshore with a knowledgeable bike guide,” said Superintendent Shultz. “Ryan worked with us as an intern last summer pioneering this program, so he is quite familiar with the park and is very excited about continuing these bike programs.” Locke will pedal on four different routes, Tuesdays through Fridays, beginning on June 23. The easy to moderate rides will cover between three and ten miles, lasting approximately two hours. Topics are:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Recreation and Tourism: Past, Present, and Future! North of Empire, on paved roads near the Dune Climb, along Glen Lake, and visiting Glen Haven. Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m., Thursdays at 5:00 p.m.
  • Bicycle Safety and Beach Ride at Platte River Campground: Starting in the campground and riding down Peterson Road to the beach and back, all ages welcome. Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.

No reservations are needed, and participants need only purchase the park entrance pass to join in the fun ($10.00/vehicle valid for seven days or $20.00/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. It is recommended that participants be 10 years of age or older.

Click Here to download more information about tour schedule and meeting locations. For additional information, please call the Visitor Center at 231-326-5134, ext. 328.

Photo: Courtesy of the National Park Service