Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive: All 12 Stops + 2026 Platform Update

Last Updated: April 2026

The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a 7.4-mile one-way loop inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore with 12 numbered stops, climbing from forest to a 450-foot bluff above Lake Michigan. It’s the easiest way to see the dunes if you only have a few hours — and the most photographed drive in northern Michigan for good reason.

I’ve driven Pierce Stocking dozens of times in every season — bringing visiting friends, scouting for FOX 17 segments, chasing fall color, and once on cross-country skis when the road was closed to cars. This guide walks you through all 12 stops in order, with honest notes on which ones are worth the time, what’s accessible (and what isn’t), where dogs can come along, and the one big change that’s reshaping the most famous overlook on the route.

⚠️ The Lake Michigan Overlook Platform Is Gone — What Stop #9 Looks Like Now

The wooden viewing platform at Stop #9, the Lake Michigan Overlook — the most photographed spot on the entire drive — has been removed. Park staff dismantled it over two weeks in spring 2025 after winter winds undercut the sand at the base and the western pilings no longer touched solid ground.

The platform had stood at the edge of the bluff since 1986 and welcomed roughly half a million visitors a year. According to Sleeping Bear Superintendent Scott Tucker, the dunes had been migrating eastward for years and the structural failure was expected — just not this fast. A 2028 planning study will determine what gets built next, with no replacement deck guaranteed.

Here’s what to actually expect at Stop #9 now:

• The parking lot is unchanged and still has accessible spots and vault toilets
• The paved path from the parking lot still exists, transitioning to packed sand near the bluff edge
• The view of Lake Michigan, North and South Manitou Islands, Sleeping Bear Point, and Point Betsie 15 miles south is unchanged — just no railing or formal platform
• Stay back from the dune edge. The bluff is still actively eroding and the sand is unstable

💡 PRO TIP: If the Stop #9 view feels less complete without the platform, drive on to Stop #3, the Dune Overlook. It has a two-level ramped wooden deck, panoramic views of the dunes, Glen Lake, and the Manitou Islands, and it’s fully wheelchair accessible — the closest comparable experience on the drive.

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive Fees, Hours, and Rules

Park Fees

Pierce Stocking sits inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, so a national park pass is required to enter. Buy your pass in advance at recreation.gov and skip the line — the digital pass is accepted immediately at the entrance kiosk.

• 7-day vehicle pass: $25 — covers all park entry points
• Annual Sleeping Bear pass: $45 — pays for itself in two visits
• America the Beautiful pass: $80 — covers all NPS sites for a year
• 2026 fee-free days: The NPS expanded fee-free days to 10 in 2026 — check the official Sleeping Bear fees page for current dates

Season and Hours

Pierce Stocking is open seasonally — typically mid-April through mid-November, weather dependent. Spring 2023 was a late opener (May 8); some years close as early as October 30. Hours are 9 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset. The drive is closed to vehicles in winter, but it’s open to cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and hikers, which is one of the most peaceful experiences in the park.

Speed Limit and Trailer Rules

The speed limit is 20 mph the entire way, and you genuinely won’t want to go faster — the road is one-way, narrow in spots, and bicyclists share it. Trailers are not allowed; the entrance parking lot on the right as you turn in is the recommended spot to leave one. Maximum vehicle clearance is 13 feet 6 inches.

Accessibility on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

Most of Pierce Stocking can be experienced from the car, which makes it one of the more accessible national park scenic drives anywhere. According to the National Park Service, accessible parking and toilets are available at four locations:

• Entrance trailer parking area — vault toilets
• Stop #2 Picnic Mountain — running water, flush toilets, and a hard-surfaced picnic area with table and raised grill
• Stop #9 Lake Michigan Overlook — accessible parking and vault toilets (the platform itself is no longer there; the path becomes loose sand near the bluff)
• Stop #11 North Bar Lake Overlook — accessible parking, vault toilets, fairly flat picnic area

Stop #3 Dune Overlook is the standout for accessibility — a ramped two-level deck with bench seating delivers panoramic views of the dunes, Glen Lake, and the Manitou Islands without leaving paved surface. If you have mobility limitations and only have time for one stop with a view, make it #3. Stops #9 and #10 are not wheelchair accessible — both require a steep asphalt path that transitions to loose sand. Track wheelchairs are available for trail use elsewhere in the park; reserve through the visitor center in advance.

Bringing Your Dog on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

Yes — leashed dogs are allowed on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive itself. They can ride in your car, hop out at any of the parking-lot stops with you, and walk the paved areas. They are also allowed on the Cottonwood Trail at Stop #4, which is the only trail through the dune system where dogs are permitted.

Dogs are not allowed on any of the other dune trails, including the Dune Climb, Empire Bluff, Pyramid Point, or Sleeping Bear Point. Bring water, watch for hot pavement in summer, and never leave a dog in the car while you walk down the bluff at Stop #9 — the climb back up is much harder and longer than it looks.

All 12 Stops on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

Stop 1: The Covered Bridge

Pierce Stocking himself planned this 13’6″ covered bridge as part of the original drive. Covered bridges are uncommon in northern Michigan — they’re more associated with Indiana and Pennsylvania — and the wooden cover protects the structure from rot in Michigan’s wet snow seasons. There’s a small pull-off right before the bridge for photos.

Stop 2: Glen Lake Overlook (and Stop 2a: Picnic Mountain)

Glen Lake’s water is the same Caribbean turquoise that gets people commenting on Michigan photos online. The viewing platform here delivers the panoramic shot. The lake is split by M-22 at the narrows into Big Glen Lake (130 feet deep) and Little Glen (12 feet deep) — keep an eye out for Alligator Hill across the water, named for its reptile-like silhouette formed during the last Ice Age.

Stop #2a Picnic Mountain is just past the overlook and is the best stop on the drive for an actual meal break: hard-surfaced picnic area, raised grills, running water, flush toilets, and accessible parking. If you’re making this a longer visit, this is where you stop for lunch.

Stop 3: Dune Overlook

This is now arguably the best overlook stop on the drive. The ramped two-level deck makes it the only top-tier panoramic view that’s fully wheelchair accessible — and even from the parking lot circle drive, you can take in sweeping vistas of North and South Manitou Islands, Pyramid Point, Sleeping Bear Bay, the dunes, Glen Lake and Alligator Hill, the Little Glen Lake Mill Pond, and the historic D.H. Day farm with its huge white barn.

You’re standing on top of one of the tallest perched dunes in the park — about 200 feet high — with the sand sitting on glacial moraine bluffs. With Stop #9’s platform gone, this is where I now send people who want the iconic “I drove Pierce Stocking” photo.

Stop 4: Cottonwood Trail

A 1.5-mile loop hike through the dunes — strenuous in spots and exposed to sun the whole way, but doable. This is the only trail in the entire dune system where leashed dogs are allowed. Watch for animal tracks in the open sand: it’s surprisingly active in early morning and evening. Bring water and shoes you don’t mind filling with sand.

Stop 5: Dune Ecology

A short interpretive stop explaining how the dunes formed and how they continue to migrate. Most people skim through here in 5 minutes, but if you have kids working on Junior Ranger badges, it’s a useful one to actually read.

Stop 6: Leaving the Sand Dunes

Honestly, this is one you can read from the car. The marker explains the transition from dune to beech-maple forest as wind energy from Lake Michigan tapers off inland. No real reason to park.

Stop 7: Beech Maple Forest

Suddenly you’re in a shady canopy of sugar maple, beech, black cherry, hemlock, and basswood. This is the stop that earns its keep in October — the canopy turns brilliant red, gold, and yellow, and it’s one of the best fall color stretches inside any Michigan park. Watch for deer, squirrels, and chipmunks moving through the understory.

Stop 8: Changes Over Time

The last glaciers melted from this area about 11,800 years ago. The marker reflects on how the landscape has changed since — interesting if you’re moving slowly, skippable if your kids are getting restless before Stop #9.

Stop 9: Lake Michigan Overlook

The single most famous stop on the drive — and the one that’s changed most dramatically. The wooden viewing platform that stood here for nearly 40 years was removed in spring 2025 (full details above). What remains is still extraordinary: a 450-foot-high vantage point with views of Lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Bluffs, North and South Manitou Islands, and Point Betsie 15 miles south. The parking lot is unchanged and accessible toilets are available.

💡 PRO TIP: Do NOT climb down the dune face. The descent is loose sand, the climb back up takes most people 1-2 hours, and rescues happen every summer at this stop. The NPS charges roughly $3,000 for them. Look out, photograph the view, and turn around.

Stop 10: Sleeping Bear Dune Overlook

This stop looks out toward the actual remaining Sleeping Bear Dune — formed about 2,000 years ago by Lake Michigan winds. According to the NPS, the dune was 230 feet tall at its historic peak, was down to 132 feet by 1961, and to 103 feet by 1980. Wave erosion at the base of the plateau and constant wind continue to wear it down. The Bear is, slowly, disappearing. Like Stop #9, this overlook is not wheelchair accessible — steep asphalt followed by loose sand.

Stop 11: North Bar Lake Overlook

North Bar Lake formed when sand built up between Lake Michigan and a freshwater pond behind it. The sandbar that separates them shifts every season — sometimes there’s a connecting channel, sometimes not. Running between the warmer water of North Bar and the cool of Lake Michigan is a Sleeping Bear ritual that goes back generations. This stop has accessible parking, vault toilets, and a flat picnic area — and the panoramic view extends to Empire Bluff. Bring the camera; don’t skip this one.

Stop 12: Pine Plantation

The rows of identical-height pines are the giveaway: these were planted intentionally, long before this land became a national lakeshore. According to the NPS, property owners planted them to prevent soil erosion, create windbreaks, harvest timber, and build wildlife habitat. A quiet ending to the loop.

Best Time to Drive Pierce Stocking

October is the standout month. Fall color along the drive — especially through the beech-maple stretch and from the bluff overlooks — is some of the best in northern Michigan. Crowds also thin significantly after Labor Day. Summer weekdays are the next-best window: the views are at peak summer green, but parking at Stops #9 and #11 fills by late morning on weekends.

Spring opens the drive in mid-April most years (sometimes later) and brings wildflowers and quiet. Winter closes the drive to vehicles, but the road becomes one of the best cross-country ski and snowshoe routes in the park — you’ll have the whole 7.4 miles essentially to yourself. See our winter at Sleeping Bear Dunes guide for trail details.

Pair Pierce Stocking With These Stops

Pierce Stocking is a 1-2 hour experience. Build a half-day or full-day around it with these:

• Glen Haven Village — 10 minutes from the drive exit. Historic restored port village with general store, maritime museum, and accessible Glen Haven Beach right next door
• Glen Arbor — Charming small town for lunch (Art’s Tavern is the classic), shopping, and access to Glen Lake
• Pyramid Point Trail — A 2.7-mile hike with one of the best bluff views in the park, if you’re up for a real workout
• Empire — The park’s southern gateway, home to the Phillip A. Hart Visitor Center and good restaurants
• Traverse City — 30 minutes east. Wineries, dining, and the Old Mission Peninsula
• Point Betsie Lighthouse — 15 miles south in Frankfort, easy add-on for a Lake Michigan lighthouse loop

For the full park hub — beaches, hikes, where to eat, where to stay, and full itineraries — start with our complete Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore guide.

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive FAQ

How long does the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive take?

The 7.4-mile loop takes 1 to 2 hours, depending on how many of the 12 stops you walk. A drive-through with brief stops at Stops 1, 3, 9, and 11 takes about an hour. Stopping at all 12 with short walks is closer to 2 hours.

Is the Lake Michigan Overlook platform open in 2026?

No. The wooden platform at Stop #9 was removed in spring 2025 after winter winds destabilized the pilings. The parking area, accessible toilets, and view from the bluff edge remain open, but there is no platform or railing. The NPS has a 2028 planning study scheduled to determine what gets built next.

Are dogs allowed on Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive?

Yes. Leashed dogs are allowed on the drive itself and at the parking-lot stops. They’re also permitted on the Cottonwood Trail (Stop #4) — the only trail through the dunes that allows dogs. Dogs are not allowed on the Dune Climb, Empire Bluff, Pyramid Point, or other dune trails.

Is Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive wheelchair accessible?

Most of the drive can be experienced from the car. Accessible parking and toilets are available at four stops: the entrance lot, Picnic Mountain (Stop #2), Lake Michigan Overlook (Stop #9), and North Bar Lake Overlook (Stop #11). Stop #3 Dune Overlook has a ramped wooden deck and is the best fully accessible viewing spot. Stops #9 and #10 require walking on steep asphalt and loose sand.

How much does Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive cost in 2026?

A 7-day Sleeping Bear Dunes vehicle pass is $25. An annual Sleeping Bear pass is $45, and the America the Beautiful pass (covering all NPS sites for a year) is $80. Buy in advance at recreation.gov to skip the entrance kiosk line.

When does Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive open and close for the season?

The drive typically opens in mid-April and closes in mid-November, both weather dependent. Some years open as late as early May or close as early as October 30. Hours when open are 9 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset. In winter, the road is closed to vehicles but open to cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and hikers.