Beach · Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
A quiet Lake Michigan shore reached by a soft-sand dune climb.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Sleeping Bear Dunes Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
El Dorado: A Short Float to the Lake“El Dorado Platte River Access is coming up, a small put-in about a mile upstream from Lake Michigan. Choose this if you want a short float down the lower Platte rather than a longer river trip.”
Plays on the road 0.6 mi from Tiesma Road Beach in the Parkwolf Sleeping Bear Dunes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Tiesma Road Beach is a secluded Lake Michigan shoreline between Platte River Point and Peterson Road Beach. It is reached from Isle View Road, formerly called Tiesma Road, and is a quieter stop for sand, swimming and a distant view of Empire Bluffs.
From the gravel parking lot, the beach is about 600 feet away, but the route crosses deep, soft sand and steep foredunes. The short distance can feel demanding, and the approach is not firm or level. There is no restroom or drinking water listed at this access, and no food service; bring what you need before turning off the main road.
The open beach looks across Lake Michigan toward the distant bluffs. For a photo, include the dune grass and pale sand in the foreground with the water and bluff line beyond. Swimming is unguarded, and rip currents can occur. Pets are not allowed on this stretch, and glass containers are prohibited on park beaches.
Wildlife
27 sightingsPiping PloverMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
70 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
56 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
68 sightingsSandhill CraneMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
58 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
31 sightingsLoonMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Sleeping Bear Dunes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateLasso Loop Trail7.6 mi · 4 hr · 0.9 mi awaySoft sand, old dune ridges and a bay view toward the islands.
EasyOld Indian Green Arrow Loop2.3 mi · 1.3 hr · 3.1 mi awayGentle woodland dune loop, with an optional Lake Michigan beach spur.
ModerateOld Indian Black Arrow Loop2.5 mi · 1.5 hr · 3.1 mi awayA shady loop over old dunes, steeper and twistier than Green Arrow.
EasyBass Lake Loop3.5 mi · 2 hr · 3.4 mi awayAn easy 3.5-mile circuit through forest, lake, and wetland
EasyOtter Creek Loop4.6 mi · 2.3 hr · 3.8 mi awayA flat forest loop meets Otter Creek and old Aral's dock pilings.
Sight · 0.6 mi awayEl Dorado Platte River AccessA compact put-in for an easy one-mile float to Lake Michigan.
Campground · 1 mi awayPlatte River CampgroundA wooded basecamp for the Platte River and Lake Michigan.
Beach · 1.1 mi awayPlatte River Point BeachWade the river, then step into Lake Michigan.
Picnic area · 1.3 mi awayPlatte River Picnic AreaA shady picnic stop with river access and a one-hour float option.
Sight · 1.3 mi awayBoekeloo LodgeA cabin and hand-dug pond where a cranberry bog never took hold.
Sight · 1.3 mi awayLoon Lake AccessA slow-water launch with a fishing dock and picnic area.
Beach · 1.4 mi awayPeterson BeachA quiet Lake Michigan shore with bluffs on the horizon.
Campground · 2.4 mi awayWhite Pine Backcountry CampgroundCarry your tent two miles to a six-site woods camp.Parkwolf’s Sleeping Bear Dunes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
