Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive highlighted in red
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| Route information | |
| Maintained by NPS | |
| Length | 7.4 mi (11.9 km) |
| Existed | 1967–present |
| Restrictions | Open to vehicular traffic April–November, 9:00 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset |
| Points of interest | |
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| Location | |
| Counties: | Leelanau |
| Highway system | |
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a special road inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This park is in western Northern Michigan in the United States. The road is known for its amazing views and gentle curves. You can find it off state highway M-109, between the towns of Empire and Glen Arbor.
This scenic drive is about 7.4 miles (11.9 km) long. It takes you through beautiful forests and sandy dunes. Along the way, you'll find great spots to see the Lake Michigan shoreline and the park. There are signs with numbers that match a special guide from the National Park Service. This guide tells you more about each stop. Every year, over 80,000 cars drive this route. Many people also enjoy biking, hiking, or skiing on the road.
The road was built in the 1960s by a man named Pierce Stocking. He was a lumberman who knew how to build roads. He wanted to share the beauty of this area with everyone. He ran the drive until he passed away in 1976. After that, the National Park Service bought it and made it part of the park. In the 1980s, the road was rebuilt and new features were added for visitors. In 2011, a TV show called Good Morning America named the Sleeping Bear Dunes, including this drive, the "Most Beautiful Place in America." This award made the drive even more popular!
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Exploring the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a 7.4-mile (11.9 km) loop. You can drive or bike along it. While hiking is allowed, it's not suggested because of the cars. The drive begins at an entrance off M-109 (DH Day Highway). This is just south of Glen Lake. There's a parking lot near the start if you want to bike or walk the road.
After the entrance, the road is two-way for a short bit. Then it becomes a one-way road heading north. There are 12 special spots along the road, listed in the park's brochure. The first stop is a cool covered bridge. After that, the road goes up a steep hill to a viewpoint of Glen Lake. This area has thick forests, sandy plains, and small plants growing among rocks.
The next stop is the Dune Overlook and Picnic Mountain picnic area. From here, you can see North and South Manitou islands. These islands are also part of the park. You can also spot Pyramid Point and Sleeping Bear Bay. As you get closer to this stop and the Cottonwood Trail, the road leaves the forest. It enters the sandy dune area right next to Lake Michigan.
Several more stops are listed in the guide. Then, the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive goes back inland. It passes through beautiful beech and maple forests. The road then turns back towards the shore. Here you'll find two amazing overlooks next to the lake. Overlook 9 is high up on a bluff, about 450 feet (137 m) above Lake Michigan. Overlook 10 gives you great views of the Sleeping Bear Dune. From Overlook 9, on a clear day, you can see Platte Bay about 9 miles (14 km) to the south. These high spots offer amazing views, but it's super important to stay on the marked paths and be careful because they are very high up!
The next-to-last stop is the North Bar Overlook and Picnic Area. This spot offers views of North Bar Lake. After this, the drive goes downhill into maple and pine forests. It eventually brings you back to where you started. This part of the road follows an old path used for logging. Many people say this drive is the best way to see Lake Michigan from the top of the dunes. It's truly one of the most fascinating places in the country!
Visiting the Drive
You need a Park Pass to use the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. However, if you have a Golden Age Passport or Senior Pass, you don't need to pay. You can get a free guide for the drive at the visitor center in Empire. You can also pick one up at the entrance gate.
The road is usually open for cars from mid-April until November. During this time, it opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes 30 minutes after sunset. After late December, the drive becomes a cross-country ski trail. The park service combines the unplowed road with the Shauger Hill Trail. This creates an 8-mile (13 km) system of ski trails. The speed limit on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is 20 mph (32 km/h). In 2008, over 82,500 cars drove the loop.
How the Drive Was Built
The road is named after Pierce Stocking. He grew up working with lumber in Michigan. He loved walking the bluffs high above Lake Michigan near Empire. Because he was a lumberman, he knew a lot about building roads. Stocking started building a road to the top of the dunes in the early 1960s. This was a very difficult area to build in.
According to National Geographic, Stocking was so amazed by the beauty of the dunes. He built the road just so he could share them with visitors. When he first opened it to the public in 1967, it was called the Sleeping Bear Dunes Park. He ran the scenic drive until he passed away in 1976. At the end, he charged $2 per car.
The area around the road became part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 1970. The road itself became part of the park in 1977. That's when the park service bought it. The name was later changed to Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive to honor him.
Starting in 1984, the National Park Service rebuilt the drive. It was paved for the first time, and a special lane for bicycles was added. The park service also moved the entrance to the road. They built new viewing platforms too. An older part of the road was closed because sand from the dunes kept covering it. Stocking built the covered bridge himself. The park service has kept it in good shape and made it taller for vehicles. The updates to the drive were finished in 1986.
In August 2011, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was named the "Most Beautiful Place in America" by Good Morning America. This happened after a big campaign on social media. Since the park won this award, more and more people have visited. On September 3, 2011, cars waited in lines about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) long to get onto the drive. This was a very unusual sight for a day in September!
Points of Interest Along the Drive
The entire roadway is located in Glen Arbor Township, Leelanau County.
| Miles | Kilometers | Number | Point of Interest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | M-109 – Empire, Glen Haven | This is the main entrance to the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. | |
| 0.4 | 0.64 | — | Entrance gate | You can get interpretive guides here. A park pass is needed to go past this point. |
| 0.7 | 1.1 | Beginning of one-way loop | ||
| 1.1 | 1.8 | 1 | Covered Bridge | This bridge was built by Pierce Stocking and later updated by the National Park Service. It has a 13-foot 6-inch (4.11 m) clearance for vehicles. |
| 1.9 | 3.1 | 2 | Glen Lake Overlook | Enjoy views of Glen Lake from here. |
| 2.3 | 3.7 | 3 | Dune Overlook | You can park your bike here. |
| 2.4 | 3.9 | 4 | Cottonwood Trail | A trail to explore. |
| 2.5 | 4.0 | 5 | Dune Ecology | An educational stop about the dunes. |
| 2.9 | 4.7 | 6 | Leaving the Sand Dunes | An educational stop about the changing landscape. |
| 3.0 | 4.8 | 7 | Beech-Maple Forest | An educational stop about the forest. |
| 4.1 | 6.6 | 8 | Changes over Time | An educational stop about how the area has changed. |
| 5.1 | 8.2 | 9 | Lake Michigan Overlook | Be sure to stay on the walkways for safety. This overlook is 450 feet (137 m) above Lake Michigan. |
| 5.1 | 8.2 | 10 | Sleeping Bear Dune Overlook | This shares a parking lot with the Lake Michigan Overlook. You can park your bike here. |
| 5.6 | 9.0 | 11 | North Bar Lake Overlook | You can park your bike here. |
| 6.1 | 9.8 | 12 | Pine plantation | An educational stop about the pine trees. |
| 6.7 | 10.8 | End of one-way loop | ||
| 7.0 | 11.3 | — | Entrance gate | You can drop off your interpretive guides here. |
| 7.4 | 11.9 | M-109 – Empire, Glen Haven | This is the exit from the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||
