The no-lights hike at Sleeping Bear dunes will be taking place Saturday during the winter solstice. The intimate and exclusive experience will take 15 people through the darkness of SBDNL. Although the event is already sold out, plenty of events to explore SBDNL are already planned throughout winter 2025.
“We are trying our best to use visitation data to drive out programming,” SBDNL Lead Education Ranger Emily Sunblade said. “I’m looking back at the last couple of years about our attendance at all of our interpreted public programming and the candlelight hikes have been the most popular based on the amount of people that we were expecting versus the significantly higher turnout ... We are getting the sense that people are looking for things to do in the park at night.”
SBDNL is a 24/7 national lakeshore with a recent increased emphasis of rangers being present at night to encourage locals and visitors alike to get out and explore Leelanau at night.
