Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive The 7.5 mile Pierce Stocking Scenic drive loops through the dune area and includes several especially breath-taking scenic overlooks. The road opens from 9 a.m.
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This drive is the most accessible way to park and see a lot of these views without walking long distances, making it an ideal way to tour the area with young children or others who cannot walk long distances or who have mobility issues. Stocking's background as a lumberjack gave him an expertise in building roads through difficult terrain. He began planning the process of building a road to allow

others to share in the beauty he saw as he walked along the top of the bluffs during the early 1960s. The completed road opened to the public in 1967, and Stocking operated the scenic drive until his death in 1976. Stocking's road became part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 1977. Public opinion strongly supported naming the road for him, so it officially became the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive several years after the visionary lumberman's death. You can just drive the road in a few minutes, but a series of overlooks and other designated stops along the route allow visitors to learn about the area's history, see the diverse vegetation in the park, learn how the landscape changed over the years, and take in some great views. Maps for the self-guided tour of Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive are often available at the road's entrance, but it may be best to stop at the park's visitor center in Empire to pick up a map as they seem less likely to run out of the brochures during the busy summer season. You can also purchase the park pass required to drive the route at the visitors' center. until a half hour after sunset, and closes pretty much entirely from late autumn through mid-spring. A 20 m.p.h. speed limit encourages drivers to slow down and enjoy the scenery. You can ride your bicycle along the route, but extremely steep grades, sharp turns, and sometimes heavy traffic make that something only the most experienced bicyclists should attempt.

05/17/2024

History Highlight: Pierce "Pat" Stocking loved spending time in the woods and exploring the bluffs above Lake Michigan. His idea for a road to the top of the dunes, later known as the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, came about in the early 1960's as a way to share the beauty of the dunes with others. After opening to the public in 1967, Stocking continued to operate the scenic drive every day until he passed away in 1976. The following year, the road became a part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and was eventually named after him, based on popular opinion. This seven-mile route features stunning panoramas of the dunes, Lake Michigan, and Glen Lake with twelve scenic stops along the way.

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is officially OPEN for the 2024 season! Please drive slowly, watch for bikers and motorcyclists, park only in designated parking spots, and be aware of your surroundings.

07/06/2018

Feel free to post any pictures of the drive or the dunes in general!! Be safe and have a wonderful 2018 summer!!!

Photo Credit: John McCormick
07/19/2016

Photo Credit: John McCormick

04/08/2016
Photo By: Dale Carlson
09/21/2012

Photo By: Dale Carlson

It's Always a good time... :)
09/21/2012

It's Always a good time... :)

Learn more about all these Michigan cities and attractions at http://www.michigan.org This entire video was filmed in just one week, traveling the state in a...

09/18/2012

This Michigan park is one of the nation's best-kept secrets.

"STEEP ERODING BLUFF" Fun going down.... Quite the haul coming back up... :)
09/13/2012

"STEEP ERODING BLUFF" Fun going down.... Quite the haul coming back up... :)

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State Highway M-109
Empire, MI
49630

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