20 - The Sleeping Bear

The Sleeping Bear Map Location

The original 1907 photograph was taken looking north toward South Manitou Island from the western flank of the vegetated dune feature known as The Sleeping Bear. Since that time, The Sleeping Bear has undergone changes, migrating inland and eroding in places. One place where erosion has taken place is the western slope where the original photograph was taken. Thus, the re-photograph was taken just east on the remaining slope. In the 2019 photograph, the dune field beyond to the north exhibits the same trend seen elsewhere in our study – an expansion of vegetation across much of the area – although patches of bare sand in the foreground exist. The research team would like to thank the staff at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for their assistance in recapturing this photograph.

LAT: 44.874237, LON: -86.069461

Photo Credit – 1907, Bentley Historical Library, Univ. of Michigan; 2019, Kevin McKeehan, Michigan State University.

Do you have any memories of this location, past or present? Share in the comments below!

The Sleeping Bear before and after


Be the first to comment

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.