White Pine Backcountry Campground Permits

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

White Pine Backcountry Campground is a primitive camp located in the southern district of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on the lower peninsula of Michigan. It is located approximately two miles from the Trail's End Road trailhead on the Platte Plains hiking trail south of Empire just off of M-22. 

This year-round campground has six campsites, two shared fire rings, pit toilet, and two shared animal resistant food storage lockers. Plan to pack your water into the campsite, as there is no well in the campground.   

Summer temperatures range from upper 70s to 90 degrees F (25° to 32° C) during the day, and from the 50s to 70 degrees F (10° to 25° C) at night.  

Winters are cold, with daytime highs from 20° to 30° F (-7° to -1° C) and lows in the 10s and 20s F (-12° to -7° C). Snow is usually on the ground from late November through March.

This year-round campground has six campsites, two shared fire rings, pit toilet, and two shared animal resistant food storage lockers.  

Plan to pack your water into the campsite, as there is no well in the campground.   

Pack it in, pack it out. Whatever you bring in, you are responsible for bringing out. Trash receptacles are not provided.  

Notifications and Alerts

• White Pine Backcountry Campground falls within the park's Platte Plains prescribed fire unit. The prescribed fire plan authorizes prescribed burns to be conducted during the spring months of March, April, or May and during the autumn months of September, October, or November.  

  During those months, prescribed fires may be ignited any time weather conditions are favorable necessitating a campground closure.  

  For this reason, reservations may be cancelled, and refunds issued with little notice.  

Need to Know

• Entrance Fees - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore charges a variety of entrance fees, depending on how a visitor arrives at the park. All visitors must have an entrance pass (separate from camping fees). The park also honors Federal Recreational Lands interagency passes (e.g., annual, senior, access, military, 4th grade, Golden Age). For more information visit the park's Fees & Passes web page. 

  The Michigan Recreation Passport is not valid for entry at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which is a federally managed site.

• PERMIT CONDITIONS -

  1. This is a required permit area. Print your permit and have it in your possession during your stay.

  2. Check-in time is 2 p.m. Check-out time is noon. Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Noise levels must be controlled at all times.

  3. A maximum of two tents and four people are permitted at each backcountry campsite. To minimize impact to natural resources, set up your tent in the cleared area of your campsite. Do not set up your tent on vegetation.

  4. Camp only in one of the six designated campsites. Sites are not assigned in advance. Campers choose from the unoccupied sites upon arrival. Each site has a numbered post at its entrance.  

  5. Use a backpack-style stove for cooking or use the community fire rings provided. Only burn dead, down, and detached wood in the fire ring. Do not burn trash or leave aluminum, glass, or other non-burnable materials in the fire ring. Beach fires are restricted to bare beach sand between the water's edge and the first dune. Do not leave fires unattended.  

  6. Carry out all refuse. Please leave a clean, neat campsite for the next camper.

  7. Pets are prohibited in White Pine Backcountry Campground.

  8. Bicycles, wheeled devices, wheelbarrows, wagons, carts, and trailers are prohibited on the Platte Plains trail and the White Pine Backcountry Campground. Do not create short-cuts.

  9. Keep all food, drinks, coolers, toiletries, hygiene products, trash, recyclables, and scented items stored in the provided food storage lockers when not in use. Do not feed the wildlife.

• Violation of terms may result in permit suspension, revocation and/or issuance of a citation by law enforcement.

Natural Features

The campground is within wilderness. Designated Wilderness areas are the most protected public lands in America. They are managed with restraint to preserve characteristics of wilderness and solitude. The Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, within the boundaries of the Lakeshore, is over 30,000 acres. 

The beaches of Lake Michigan are about 1/2 mile (0.80 km) walk from camp. Although the lakeshore is long and narrow, it has northern hardwood and conifer forests, abandoned farm meadows, wetlands, lakes, streams, bogs, and splended examples of glacially formed landscape.  

The most prominent features in the park, and those for which it is named, are perched sand dunes above Lake Michigan. The overlooks at Sleeping Bear, Empire and Pyramid Point bluffs are about 400 feet (122 m) above the lake. Within 65 miles (105 km) of Lake Michigan shoreline and numberous inland lakes and streams, the park is wonderfully water-oriented.  

Recreation

The Platte Plains trail system boasts more than 25 miles (40 km) of trails, some of which can be accessed a short walk away from the campground.  

Contact Information

Mailing

SLEEPING BEAR DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE 9922 FRONT STREET EMPIRE MI 49630

Phone Number

For campground inquiries, please call: 231-326-4700

Rental Options

Learn more about gear rental options for your trip

Driving Directions

FROM THE EAST (Traverse City): Take State Highway M-72 west to Empire. Turn south on State Highway M-22.

• To Trails End Road: Drive 6 miles to Trails End Road - turn right

                                            Drive 1 mile to the trailhead

• To Platte Plains Ski Trail Parking: Drive 6.5 miles - the trailhead parking area will be on the right
• To Peterson Road: Drive 9.5 miles to Peterson Road - turn right

                                           Drive 1.5 miles to the trailhead unloading zone on the right 

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FROM THE SOUTH (US-31 / M-115): At the junction of US-31 and M-115, continue north for seven miles. Turn left onto Platte Road. Proceed five miles and turn right onto M-22.  

• To Peterson Road: Drive 1.5 miles to Peterson Road - turn left

                                  Drive 1.5 miles to the trailhead unloading zone on the right

• To Platte Plains Ski Trail Parking: Drive 4.5 miles - the trailhead parking area will be on the left
• To Trails End Road: Drive 5 miles to Trails End Road turn left 

                                            Drive 1 mile to the trailhead

Available Campsites

• Site White Pine Campground 5, Loop White Pine, Type Hike To
• Site White Pine Campground 1, Loop White Pine, Type Hike To
• Site White Pine Campground 4, Loop White Pine, Type Hike To
• Site White Pine Campground, Loop White Pine, Type Hike To
• Site White Pine Campground 2, Loop White Pine, Type Hike To
• Site White Pine Campground 6, Loop White Pine, Type Hike To
• Site White Pine Campground 3, Loop White Pine, Type Hike To

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