Glen Arbor: Dunes, Trails and Culture

If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Glen Arbor, the activities you have planned can help determine your travel dates and daily schedule. The area brings together a range of interests: a tall sand dune to climb, a longer trail through the landscape, a historic boat exhibit, and insights into the area’s former fruit-packing industry and local history. Consider whether your trip will focus more on outdoor activity, snowy-day pursuits, or cultural stops. The options below differ both in character and in the conditions that apply to specific activities.

Dunes and Trails

The Dune Climb is a 284-foot-high sand dune that visitors climb for fun. From the first dune, you get a good view of Little Glen Lake. This combines a physically active experience with a specific viewpoint in one place. When there is snow, sledding is permitted on the Dune Climb, but only between the marked posts. If you want to sled, keep in mind both the snow requirement and the restriction to the marked area. Climbing and sledding differ not only in the activity itself, but also in the conditions that apply to each.

The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail extends about 22 scenic miles between Empire and Bohemian Road (CR-669). A shorter, specifically measured section runs from Glen Arbor to the Dune Climb: it is 4 miles long and relatively flat. The trail is accessible and designed for walkers, runners, cross-country skiers, cyclists, wheelchair users, and babies in strollers. It accommodates different ways of getting around; the four miles specifically refers to the section between Glen Arbor and the Dune Climb.

Boats and Local History

The Glen Haven Cannery and Boat Museum displays older boats. The collection ranges from an Anishinaabek dugout canoe to a motorized U.S. Coast Guard TRS rescue boat. This range makes the museum interesting for travelers who want to explore different types of boats through specific watercraft. In front of the Glen Haven Cannery, an information sign titled “Fruit to go” also tells the story of fruit packing at the cannery. Together, the boat exhibit and a separate look at the cannery’s former work offer two distinct perspectives.

The story behind the Sleeping Bear Inn’s name is also part of the area’s history: it welcomed guests to the small community for nearly a hundred years and was originally known as the Sleeping Bear House. In the village of Glen Arbor, the Glen Arbor Arts Center has an exhibition gallery and a classroom. These two spaces add a cultural dimension alongside the dunes, trails, and maritime history. If you’re interested in local history or art, the museum, information sign, inn, and Arts Center each offer a different point of entry.

Another connection to Lake Michigan

At the end of Lake Street, a boat ramp gives seasonal and commercial boats access to Lake Michigan from Glen Arbor. This is a different connection to the water from the older vessels in the museum: here, the focus is on access for certain boats, while the museum displays boats and showcases their range. Together with the view of Little Glen Lake from the Dune Climb, this gives a more nuanced picture of the bodies of water involved in the experiences described.

For the broader trip overview: Leelanau County.