Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive · Loop from Start of the loop

Intense5.7 mi20 min700 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,000 ftLoop

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The drive

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is a 7.4-mile one-way loop in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, off M-109 between Empire and Glen Haven. The Park Service describes it as known for scenic vistas and gentle curves, with views of Lake Michigan and Glen Lake. It follows one-way signs at a 20 mph limit.

It has twelve numbered stops, starting with a covered bridge and the Glen Lake Overlook and including Dune Ecology, a beech-maple forest, the Lake Michigan Overlook and the Sleeping Bear Dune Overlook, and ending with the North Bar Lake Overlook and a pine plantation. The park suggests about two hours for all of them. The Lake Michigan and Sleeping Bear Dune overlooks are reached by steep trails with loose sand.

The route here covers 5.7 miles of the loop and runs one way only.

Along the way

Start of the loop
Lake Michigan Overlook
End of the loop

Elevation

700 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,000 ft

Start of the loopEnd of the loop

Curves

Twisty most of the way

mi 0–2mi 1–3mi 2–6

Start of the loopEnd of the loop

GentleHairpins

Good to know

An NPS entrance pass is required.
Trailers are not permitted; the entrance lot on the right just after the turn-in is the recommended place to leave one.
The drive is open to vehicles generally late May through late October. In winter and spring it is closed to vehicles but open to hikers.
Steep sections can be slippery when wet.

Open to cars from about late May to late October; walk-in only the rest of the year. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Sleeping Bear Dunes road and facility conditions (NPS).

Questions about this drive

When is Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive open?

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is open to vehicles generally from late May through late October, and closed to vehicles but open for walking the rest of the year.

Does Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive cost money?

Yes. An NPS entrance pass is required.

Can you take a trailer on Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive?

No. Trailers are not permitted; the entrance lot just after the turn-in is the recommended place to leave one.

How long does Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive take?

The loop is 7.4 miles at 20 mph, and the park suggests about two hours to visit all twelve stops.

What you get in the app

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More drives near here

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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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