Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes

Mission: To protect resources and heighten visitor experiences in partnership with Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

For 30 years, the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has supported the National Park Service (NPS) team in their efforts to enhance the visitor experience and preserve the Lakeshore for years to come.

Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes supports the National Lakeshore by providing both volunteers and financial assistance for projects and programs.

In the time since inception, the Friends have worked closely with the National Park Service to identify projects that will enhance the public enjoyment of the park. You can see a description of some of the projects that have been completed, the ones that are currently active, and some future projects by visiting the Projects page.

Volunteers from the Friends are involved in the following activities on a routine basis:

• manage Adopt-A-Beach, Adopt-A-River, Adopt-A-Trail
• manage the maintenance and Trail Ambassador program for the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail
• Support the park in developing new trails: Kettles Trail in the Bow Lakes Region, Bay to Bay Trail, Mountain Bike trail in Echo Valley Region
• manage field mowing to preserve historic agricultural landscapes
• publish 13 visitor guide booklets about the science and history of the area
• provide housing stipend for Park interns
• provide funding for NPS project grant requests