$615
If you’ve never seen the dunes of Lake Michigan, you’re missing one of the Midwest’s most stunning natural wonders. On this trip, immerse yourself in this Great Lakes haven at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan. We’ll spend three days hiking and paddling along 100-ft dunes and huge sand cliffs, exploring Michigan’s lower peninsula full of local farms and artisan shops, learning the awesome famed nautical history of the region and relaxing on the surprisingly warm beaches of Lake Michigan. This trip is get up and go or relax in the sand — choose your own adventure!
Trip Schedule
Wednesday: Arrive to camp, get comfortable, enjoy camp dinner.
Thursday: Spend the day hiking at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore along Lake Michigan. Sleeping Bear Dunes has over 100 miles of inland and dune trails to explore a variety of landscapes. Please be aware that hiking on sand and dunes can be more difficult than dirt trail hiking. We’ll take it easy, but prepare accordingly!
Friday: We’ll start the morning with a paddle on the Platte River, ending right into Lake Michigan; and have a picnic lunch. Then we’ll head north to the Sleeping Bear Dunes visitor’s center before having a relaxing beach day on the shores of Lake Michigan. We’ll make our way to local cherry and blueberry farm stands before heading back to camp for dinner.
Saturday: On Saturday, we’ll travel to the Leelanau Peninsula after breakfast, visiting a couple of harbor towns for sightseeing and shopping. We’ll have a picnic lunch in town, and then grab a happy hour drink at Tandem Ciders in Sutton Bay (the peninsula is famous for its fruits and ciders). We’ll find a quick hike on the Lower Peninsula and end the evening with a group dinner at one of the many amazing local restaurants in the area before heading back for our last night in camp.
Sunday: Breakfast at camp and then head home relaxed and refreshed from Michigan’s beauty!
Trip Details
Adventure Rating: Beginner/Intermediate
Main activities: Hiking, paddling
Camping Details: We’ll be staying at tent sites with access to pit toilets. Showerhouse provided elsewhere in the campground.
Skills learned on this trip: Fire building, setting up camp, hiking basics, Lake Michigan geology and natural history
About Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Miles of sand beach, bluffs that tower 450’ above Lake Michigan, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna make up the natural world of Sleeping Bear Dunes. High dunes afford spectacular views across the lake. An island lighthouse, US Life-Saving Service stations, coastal villages, and picturesque farmsteads reflect the park’s rich maritime, agricultural, and recreational history. Source: National Park Service
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Wander Women trips are designed to be restorative and relaxing, full of connection and knowledge building. Days are filled with activities ranging from skill-building workshops (like fire building or plant identification), hammock reading and card playing, to group hikes, impromptu yoga sessions and creek stomping. Nights are spent around the campfire sharing in storytelling, often digging deep into ourselves and our place in nature.
Please know that to us, there’s no right way to wander. We ask that you come as you are — you don’t need to have the gear, the knowledge or anyone else with you to make this trip great. We grant participants and ourselves the right to be imperfect or nervous, and encourage a “challenge by choice” mentality — letting you decide when you’ll step outside your comfort zone, knowing it’s often rewarding when you do. By the end of the weekend, we want you to feel confident in newfound skills, your place in the outdoors and your part in this community. That’s what these trips are all about!
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Each Wander Women trip has an Adventure Rating attached to the trip to give Wanderers a better idea of the activity level and physical requirements of the trip. These ratings are based on general Wanderer ability. If you have specific questions about a trip’s difficulty or specific accessibility questions, please reach out to us at hello@wanderwomenmidwest.com!
Beginner: This trip is designed for the low-key adventurer. Hikes will be taken at a leisurely pace and include small elevation changes on easy to navigate trails (wide, free of roots and other obstacles). Plenty of down-time built into this trip for participants to relax and create time for themselves. No prior outdoor skills required.
Moderate: This trip is designed for the adventurer looking for a jam-packed weekend or in-depth, hands-on skill building. Hikes will be longer (6+ miles) and taken at a moderate pace. There may be other recreation activities (paddling, paddleboarding, fishing, etc.) that are beginner-friendly but require moderate physical strain. There will still be plenty of down-time built in for participants to relax and create time for themselves, but there may be optional additional adventures offered. No prior outdoor skills required, unless otherwise noted.
Challenging: Participants are expected to hike, backpack or paddle long mileage days, often with weight on their backs or in their boats. Terrain will be challenging and have elevation changes or tricky parts to navigate. Previous hiking and paddling experience is strongly recommended.
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Your trip fee includes:
Delicious meals cooked for you all weekend
Campsite and/or cabin reservations (note: most out-of-Iowa trips will require car tags or park fees — you’ll be made aware when you’ll be responsible for those)
Guided, hands-on outdoor skills instruction and facilitation from our expert guides
A Wander Women swag bundle with goodies for you to enjoy during and after the trip
Communal gear, like camp chairs, cooking equipment, guide books, activity boxes, and more
Membership in our private Facebook group and exclusive access to Wander Women day hikes, educational opportunities, and other special events
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We are once again offering gear rental this year! We know that buying camping gear on your own can be very expensive and cost-prohibitive, so we’re excited to offer affordable gear rental while maintaining the highest standards for comfort and durability.
Choose between shared tent (Wanderers who opt to share a tent will sleep in a spacious 4-or-6 person tent with one other participant during their trip), solo tent or backpacking gear.
Note: All participants signed up for backpacking trips will have their own tent.
Gear Rental: What’s Included
Frontcountry trips: Tent (solo or shared), sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner, sleeping pad and/or cot, tent lantern, camp chair, dining mess kit
Backpacking trips: Backpack, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpacking stove, utensil kit, water bottles, trekking poles
*At this time, we do not have the ability to rent gear a la carte. If you have a backpacking tent but no other gear, you will still need to rent the full gear package.
HOW IT WORKS
During sign up, select your gear rental choice as an add-on to registration right in the trip page. Super easy!
Gear Rental (Solo Tent): $40
Gear Rental (Shared Tent): $35
Gear Rental (Backpacking): $45
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We want our trips to be accessible to all Wanderers. If you’re not able to afford the full trip fee now, WeTravel (our booking platform) easily lets you make a downpayment (this is also your non-refundable trip deposit!) and pay in installments throughout the year! There is NO fee for choosing the payment plan option!
All participants are subject to the Wander Women Trip Cancellation Policy.