large complex of shifting sand dunes (sand dune), extending 7 miles (11 km) along the northeastern shore of Lake Michigan (Michigan, Lake) between Empire and Glen Haven, in the northwestern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, U.S. The name derives from an Ojibwa Indian legend in which a mother bear and two cubs swam across the lake from Wisconsin to escape a forest fire; the cubs drowned and became the North and South Manitou islands, and the spot where the mother bear waited became Sleeping Bear Dune. The dunes rise as high as 460 feet (140 metres) above the lake and cover 4 square miles (10 square km). Winds blowing eastward across the lake create two types of dunes: perched dunes, formed on high plateaus and made of glacial sands, represented by the Sleeping Bear group; and beach dunes, formed along the shore and made of beach sands, represented by the Aral Dunes unit to the south of the Sleeping Bear group. The dunes migrate with the wind and often bury trees; new dunes are held in place by plants such as beach grass and sand cherry.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, authorized in 1970 and established in 1977, encompasses 111 square miles (287 square km). It stretches for some 35 miles (55 km) along the shoreline and includes the wilderness areas of North Manitou and South Manitou islands (accessible by ferry from Leland up the coast) and the Pyramid Point area northeast of the main group. In addition to the dunes, the landscape includes lakes and streams, bluffs, and forests of cedar, birch, maple, and beech. North Manitou Island has a large population of white-tailed deer. The 7.4-mile (12-km) Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive affords beautiful views of the lake and the dunes. The Dune Climb provides views of neighbouring Glen Lake to the east. Historical sites include the South Manitou Island Lighthouse (1871; deactivated 1958), abandoned farmsteads, and a maritime museum (housed in a former lifesaving station).