This park was so awesome ! Start out by stopping by the visitors center in Empire. Here you can pick up maps, souvenirs and a stamp for your passport book. Chat with the staff there on the highlights of the park based on your interests. We wanted to take short hike so we found out the best trail for that. Drive up the road to the entrance to the park. Each stop is well marked and has parking. The views are breathtaking! To think that the dunes were created from a lake and not an ocean is mind boggling. There was one stop to walk to the top of the dune and look down. A sign informs you that if they need to come down to rescue you the fine is $3000. Steep as the dune going down Every stop is more beautiful than the one prior. Will definitely do this park again

We enjoyed our visit to this National Lakeshore. We were more interested in scenic views and hiking than in a beach visit, so we didn't ever actually go to the lake itself. We started our visit at the visitor center, where there were friendly people and a small giftshop, and we could get maps, advice, and a National Park Passport stamp. We also picked up a brochure for the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, which showed each stop and give a short description - this drive was one of our favorite activities that we did at the park. The area is a bit spread out along the lakeshore, which makes sense, but there was plenty of parking as we drove around to the various places we wanted to see. This was our first visit to a National Lakeshore (there are only 3 of them) and it definitely met our expectations and then some.

We have seen this Lakeshore from the water on boat trips coming across the Lake from Wisconsin but never came here by vehicle. We drove here from northern Wisconsin where we live with our van camper and enjoyed 4 great days in this park. The scenery and overlooks are spectacular! Just driving the roads in the park and in nearby areas is worth it. We camped at Platte River Campground and DH Day campground. Platte River is an exceptional campground and if we ever go back would spend the whole time there. Nice private wooded sites and first class bathrooms and facilities. One could easily spend a week here. Nearby Glen Arbor is a really nice village with stores and restaurants worth checking out. Make sure to visit historic Glen Haven and tour the village there and museums.

We went for the hiking and were not disappointed. It snowed while we were here, which we were thankful for, we love a good snow hike. Also, minimal people, only encountered three other people on the trails. If you like hiking I strongly recommend the Dune Climb, it was awesome!

Can't believe I've never been here before. This national lakeshore is really beautiful. Driving along the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and seeing several sights. The Manitou Islands from a distance were beautiful, including the lighthouse. The dune climb was fun to view (but wouldn't want to climb). Lake Michigan was huge, like an ocean, from 400 feet above. Gorgeous scenery and worth the trip.

All along the national lakeshore you will see beautiful areas. Some hiking involved (little or lots) depending how adventurous you want to make it. Couple of our favorites: Dune Climb area and Pyramid Point. We didn't enjoy the beaches for long due to this time of year the biting flies were a bother.

Great area to visit! Be sure to get the exact location to the start of the tourist drive in the park (addresses provided on the national park website is incorrect). The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a great way to see the area. Be prepared to pay a $25 park fee to enter the area. I've heard the drive can sometimes be packed and slow moving (holidays and weekends) and is one way with little options to stop. I went on a Monday and it was empty and peaceful! The paved drive is both scenic and smooth!

We spent a few hours here during our Michigan road trip. The Visitor Center in the town of Empire is informative and a good place to start your visit. We hiked the Empire Bluff trail, about 1.5 miles round trip and basically flat, through the woods and out to a pretty overlook of Lake Michigan. Signage to the trailhead was not as good as it could have been, but we figured it out. This is a popular trail, for good reason -- the lot was full, so we parked along the road as others were doing. We were going to do a second hike elsewhere in the area, but the humidity was a bit much for us (we're used to the dry heat of Arizona). We also did the Pierce Stocking scenic drive, which was, frankly, a bit underwhelming. A lot of the stops seemed to be just forest, which we'd already hiked through. One of the last stops did have a good view of the dunes. We SHOULD have stopped at the Dune Climb parking lot to take a photo of the giant dune there, but we missed the turnoff. If you have a National Parks pass, bring it for free entry.

Great family day trip. You would spend a few days in the area with the dunes, beaches, and cool little towns along the way. There really is a lot to see in the area. It's definitely worth a trip if you are in the area, or even a special side trip if you're not.

What a surprise this area was. This lakeshore is a Must-Do. Try to do the Pierce Stocking Scenis Drive at sunrise. It is amazingly beautiful. The dune at Overlook 9 is the one you’ve heard about. I love the warning sign telling you the cost of rescue is $3,000 and will take a couple of hours…and they are not kidding. Stand at the overlook deck and watch the idiots, oh, um, adventurous people who went down to the bottom attempting to go back up the dune. I watched as two experienced mountain climbers (according to the family member taking photos) struggled on hands and feet (never just feet only,) stopping every 30 feet or so to catch their breath. Be prepared if you decide to do this. The hikes are great. Bring hats and sunscreen. This area is a treat. You should visit here.