The sand dunes are popular with families and hikers but authorities have had to issue warnings – and anyone who dismisses them could be hit with a hefty fine
Tourists heading to some popular sand dunes have been warned to prepare for their visit, or risk potential fines of up to £2,331.
The Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan, USA, are a firm favourite with visitors thanks to their breathtaking sands and views across the azure blue waters of Lake Michigan. However, the dunes are infamously steep too. Standing from the top they don’t look too bad, but once you head down them, it’s clear that they are far from flat.
The problem is that because people don’t realise how sharp the incline is, they happily venture down the dunes to the water’s edge. However, the climb back up can take between 45 minutes to two hours depending on your location, and this is where the trouble starts.
Tourists were getting stuck multiple times a week and unable to climb back up, meaning local firefighters and rescue services had to be called. As a result, authorities issued warning signs at some of the trickier parts of the dunes, warning holidaymakers that if they end up needing to be rescued, they’ll be hit with a $3,000 fine (approximately £2,331).
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Thrill-seekers are also warned to pack suncream, plenty of water, and to take along some hiking shoes (the sand can get very abrasive on your feet and suddenly that climb could seem even more difficult).
Last year, the Glen Lake Firefighters service, who are responsible for the local rescues, took to Facebook to explain why such hefty fines were being put in place.
They explained that when someone needs to be rescued, it’s not just a case of sending out one or two firefighters; all on-duty personnel as well as various park rangers need to head to the location. This means that if there are other emergencies in the local area, other responders will need to be called out. Meanwhile, the loose sands can damage rescue equipment which is also a costly side effect. They explained that there are three levels of charge, with fines “calculated based on complexity of the rescue”.
They added that since the signs have been put in place, “place rescues at this location have gone from a daily occurrence during the summer months to less than a weekly occurrence”.
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The National Parks Service has issued guidance for those who do want to take on the dunes, are there are some ‘easier’ trails with picnic stops and easier climbs back up, but these are still quite steep even if there are some flatter bits where you can pause for a rest. Locals have warned that although families are welcome to the site, it can be steep so you may want to wait until the kids are older.
Authorities have also warned visitors that the shifting sands and vast stretches of similar landscapes “can be disorienting”, and recommend that groups – especially those with young visitors – should agree on a meet-up point before heading down the dunes.
One visitor recently wrote on Tripadvisor: “The nice thing about this dune climb is that the steepest/hardest climb is right at the beginning, up from the parking lot, where most others it’s an easy trip down at the start and a slog back up. So it was nice that you could head back at any time and have mainly downhill on the return. We climbed the first main dune, and then a bit of a flat stretch, followed by a second, shorter climb, from which we could see the lake in the distance. This was far enough for us, so we retraced our steps from there, but it was a nice chance to experience walking in the dune, still early enough in the day (about 10 AM) that the sand was nice and cool enough to walk in barefoot.”
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