D.H. Day Campground
Sleeping Bear, near Glen Arbor · Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Rustic and wooded, in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes near Glen Arbor. Spacious sites under the trees, about a five minute walk to the Lake Michigan beach. No hookups, no showers, vault toilets and shared water spigots, so come set up for dry camping. Foliage gives some cover, but sites sit fairly close together. Roads are narrow and tree lined, better for smaller rigs than big ones. A national park entrance pass is required on top of the camping fee, and the Michigan Recreation Passport does not count here. It books up, so reserve early on recreation.gov.
From above. USDA NAIP, public domain.The vibe
Works for hammock, tent, RV, van / car. Measured dark skies, a real one for stargazing.
Hanging a hammock?
Hammocks are fine in Michigan state parks. There's no rule against them. The rule is about the tree: use wide, tree-friendly straps, no nails or wire, and don't tear the bark. The state sets no strap or tree-size requirement, so when in doubt, ask the park. We'll point you at sites that likely have trees worth hanging from, but we can't see the trunks, so eyeball it on arrival.
The facts
- 87 reservable sites.
- No accessible sites listed.
- Reserved through recreation.gov, not us. We don't track openings here yet.
In the dunes near Glen Arbor, about 1.5 mi west of town and 7.5 mi north of Empire on M-109.
Thicket is not the National Park Service and not affiliated with it. The facts come from the federal RIDB (public domain); the vibe read is our estimate from open data (OpenStreetMap, USGS elevation, NASA Black Marble nighttime light). Sites, fees, and access can change. Confirm and book at recreation.gov, and leave no trace.