The Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore is offering ranger-led hikes, with or without shoeshoes. They say:

National Park Service (NPS) Rangers at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will continue offering the popular winter hikes every Saturday throughout the month of March. The longer daylight and often warm, sunny afternoons make March a great time to get out of the house and into an outdoor adventure. The hikes will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Visitor Center at Empire, and we will use snowshoes when Mother Nature cooperates and hiking boots if there is insufficient snow. At the Visitor Center, Park Rangers will provide information about the day’s hike and basic snowshoeing instructions. Then, everyone will travel by car to a specific trailhead. Along the trail, the ranger will challenge the group to look for signs of animals and seasonal changes, while sharing fun facts about the park. Hikers should come prepared for any weather and plan to be outside until about 3:00 p.m. The hikes traverse approximately one and a half miles of mildly strenuous terrain, but we will travel at a leisurely pace. This allows visitors an opportunity to look for signs of wildlife or evidence of ancient glaciers or to simply experience the Lakeshore during a quieter season.
One visitor who participated in a hike in February wrote, “I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful experience we had when we came to try snowshoeing for the first time. Our ranger was funny, interesting, and patient. I had never been on snowshoes and really enjoyed it. Because of the great time we had, we plan to buy snowshoes and explore all of Sleeping Bear Dunes in the winter!”

The National Lakeshore has a limited supply of snowshoes and will provide them free of charge. Participants need only purchase the park entrance pass to join in the fun. Space is limited, so please call 231-326-5134, extension 328, for more details and to make reservations. For more information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, go to www.nps.gov/slbe.