Michigan › Benzie County › Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore › Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness

White Pine Backcountry Campground Permits

Open

Open year-round. Reservations available through Recreation.gov up to 7 days in advance. Sites are not pre-assigned; campers select from available sites upon arrival. Check-in 2 p.m., check-out noon.

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About

White Pine Backcountry Campground offers a true wilderness experience within the Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, part of Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The campground sits approximately 2 miles from the Trail's End Road trailhead on the Platte Plains Trail, surrounded by northern hardwood and conifer forests, abandoned farm meadows, and glacially-formed terrain. Lake Michigan's beaches are about half a mile from camp. The campground features 6 primitive designated sites, each accommodating a maximum of 4 people and 2 tents. Facilities include a pit toilet, two shared communal fire rings for campfires using only dead and downed wood, and two animal-resistant food storage lockers. There is no potable water; campers must pack in all water or treat water obtained from Lake Michigan. This is a pack-it-in, pack-it-out campground with no trash receptacles. Pets, bicycles, wheeled devices, and trailers are prohibited. The Platte Plains trail system offers more than 25 miles of hiking trails accessible from the campground. Reservations are made through Recreation.gov up to 7 days in advance at $13 per night, and a National Park entrance pass is also required.

Directions

From Empire, head south on M-22. Drive 6 miles to Trail's End Road and turn right. Drive 1 mile to the trailhead. The campground is approximately 2 miles in via the Platte Plains Trail. Alternative access points include Platte Plains Ski Trail Parking (6.5 miles south on M-22) or Peterson Road (9.5 miles south on M-22, then 1.5 miles to trailhead).