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Adopt-A-Trail Program

Each year thousands of people use the over 100 miles of trails in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to experience the variety of natural ecosystems that exist in the Park and to see beautiful vistas that are inaccessible from a vehicle. Downed trees or branches due to high wind, snow or ice sometimes block the trail, or erosion can cut gullies into the making a hike more difficult or dangerous. Trail adopters commit to hiking their trail about once each month to clear small obstructions by hand or with hand tools and to communicate larger obstructions or erosion to Park Trails and Roads Maintenance. Also, even though most people who hike our trails are very aware of the problem of litter and leave the trail in the same or better condition than they found it, having volunteers regularly hike the trails assures that they will be clean and in good condition for future visitors.

The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes in cooperation with Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has developed an Adopt-A-Trail program to provide regular monitoring and clean-up of the trails within the Park. To become an Adopt-A-Trail volunteer, you or your group must commit to hiking your trail about once each month during the spring, summer and fall. Still interested?

At this time, the following trails are in the Adopt-A-Trail program:

• Old Indian Trail
• Platte Plains Trails (Lasso Loop, White Pine, Bass/Deer Lake, Otter Creek Loop, Otter Creek West, Otter Creek East)
• Empire Bluff
• Shauger Hill
• Windy Moraine
• Cottonwood
• Duneside
• Dune Loop
• Alligator Hill
• Valley View
• Bay View
• Pyramid Point
• Good Harbor Bay

Here is how you can become an Adopt-A-Trail Volunteer:

1. Contact the Adopt-A-Trail Coordinator, Molly McCombs (jmccombs1514@charter.net) to indicate your interest. The Coordinator will help you select a trail and help you through the process of getting signed up and obtain the materials you will need including an Annual Pass to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
2. Sign up as a Volunteer-in-Park (VIP) at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. If you are already a VIP, we will add this job to your existing VIP profile.
3. After each time you hike your trail, you will send an e-mail to the Park Volunteer Coordinator (lisa_myers@nps.gov) with a copy to Molly McCombs (jmccombs1514@charter.net) to report the hours you spent.

Any Questions?  Contact Web Page Editor  231-421-1645