North Manitou Island

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (ferry from Leland)

North Manitou Island, in Lake Michigan off Leland, holds about 15,000 acres of wilderness within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, according to the National Park Service. There are no assigned sites away from the village: backpackers pick their own camps under wilderness rules, along almost 23 miles of maintained trails.

In 2026, getting there is the hard part. The NPS has closed the dock and village while it relocates the island’s dock, and the regular ferry isn’t running.

The hike

In normal years, the ferry from Fishtown in Leland lands at the village dock on the east shore, the NPS says a ranger meets arriving campers to complete registration, and The Outbound says hikers give the ranger their itinerary. Most of the main trails follow old roads and railroad grades, and Hiking Project describes them as well marked with gentle grades, while secondary “historic” trails are unmaintained, hard to follow, and sometimes blocked by fallen trees.

Hiking Project’s 14.2-mile Northern Loop takes three days. It heads south from the dock past the cemetery, turns west through about four miles of woods to Crescent City Beach (a former town site with no buildings left), then climbs the Old Grade, which the author calls the hardest section, a 1.5-mile climb at about 5 to 6 percent. It crosses the Pole Bridge, passes the John Maleski homestead site, camps on a bluff above Lake Michigan, and walks the shore about three miles back to the village and its preserved life-saving station.

The Outbound’s version runs four nights and passes Old Stormer Dock, homesteads, the Big Windfall, Fredrickson Place, the Big Field, Swenson’s Barn, and Bennon’s Place near Lake Manitou, an inland lake known for fishing. It adds a day trip to the Pot Holes, a stretch of weathered rock formations along the coast. Hiking Project warns that swimmer’s itch can occur in Lake Manitou.

The NPS puts the island’s high point near 1,000 feet in the northwest corner, but most of the terrain is gentle. The harder parts, according to Solitude Sports’ trip writer, are flies, mosquitoes, heat, and blisters: black flies are a problem from mid-June to mid-August, and he recommends DEET and an extra day of food in case weather cancels a boat.

Because the ferry runs (when it runs) once a day, The Outbound’s advice applies to every trip: “You only have one opportunity to leave the island every day!”

Tips

Check NPS access news first. In 2026 there is no ferry and no dock.
Bring a water filter or treatment. The NPS lists no potable water on the island in 2026.
Pack hard containers or a food hang. The NPS recommends both to thwart chipmunks; Solitude Sports notes there are no bears.
Carry extra food and fuel in case the boat can’t run.
Bring insect repellent and a head net for summer flies.
Learn poison ivy. The Outbound says it’s present.

Camping

Campers must buy a Backcountry Use Permit before camping, from the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire or the park’s campground offices, and an entrance pass is required, according to the NPS. Away from the village, camping is prohibited within 300 feet of the Lake Michigan high water mark, inland lakes, streams, ponds, springs, buildings, or other camps, and you can’t camp on any trail. Groups are limited to 10. The Village Campground has eight first-come, first-served sites (four people and two tents each), one outhouse, and two communal fire rings. Fires are allowed only in those metal rings; use a gas or alcohol stove in the wilderness. Pets, bikes, and wheeled vehicles are prohibited, and all trash must leave the island.

Inside Intel: The Outbound recommends the Crescent area, with campsites just east of the Big Field and more tucked into the woods by the beach, and calls the Crescent Dock ruins a “great place to watch the sunset.” Solitude Sports’ trip writer liked a bluff site about a mile past Crescent Dock, where a steady lake breeze kept mosquitoes away.

Trail facts

Distance: 14.2-mile Northern Loop (Hiking Project); almost 23 miles of maintained trails (NPS)
Route type: Loop from the village dock
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Campsites: Wilderness dispersed camping; Village Campground (8 sites)
Water: None potable in 2026 (NPS); treat lake water
Permits: Backcountry Use Permit and entrance pass
Group size: 10
Pets: Prohibited
Access: Ferry from Leland (not operating in 2026); private boats anchor offshore
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Lake breezes on a Manitou bluff:

Bluff camps above Lake Michigan catch the wind that keeps bugs away, and the same breeze makes for cool nights. See the sleeping bags testers rate.

Read the full guide →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.