Not for the faint of heart, taking the climb up the dunes takes some serious persistence.  But there is something magical about getting to that ridge for one of the most spectacular views of Lake Michigan.  Depending on the heat of the summer day, be prepared to wear a buckled sandal or a pair of light tennis shoes or you will have some mighty burned bottoms of your feet.  If you make your way to the other side—you can wade right into the unsalted beauty of the lake to cool you down.  Stop into the entrance to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the Phillip A. Hart Visitor Center (Empire, MI) to get oriented and to get your maps. A little bit further down the road, enjoy Good Harbor Bay Beach which has great swimming and rock finding! Pure Michigan at it’s finest.