I spent my childhood in the Great Lakes dunes, climbing them and watching the dune creatures including numerous spiders and ant lions. Mostly what I remember is the joy (and challenge) of climbing and the feeling of being isolated, except for the company of my best pal, Kathi, who shared my love of nature and curiosity.

My son inherited the dune joy and when he and his family proposed a trip to Western Michigan including my hometown of Holland (and beloved relatives) and Sleeping Bear Dunes, I jumped at the chance.

For those unfamiliar, the dune ecosystem is characterized by shifting mounds of sand. It was formed by glaciers and can be parabolic or perched.

The Holland area features the parabolic dunes which extend all the way to the shore and provide beautiful beaches.

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We did more hiking in the Sleeping Bear Dunes, perched dunes with some rigorous and beautiful hikes.

Skies were hazy. Thanks Climate Change fires.

Some trails are easier than others and well stabilized. This is a National Park after all.

The dunes range from 200 to 450 feet tall (on the Dune Climb shown in the next photos. Don’t go down if you can’t climb up. Sand isn’t easy to climb on because it isn’t stable. If you need a rescue, the rate is rumored to be $3,000. Here I am below (front), displaying my dune climbing skills.

We made it back after taking a less easy path.

The most challenging hike was the “double dunes” or as it is officially called, Dune Climb. Not all of us participated but for those who did, the two plus hour walk rewarded them with an otherworldly view and a fun run to the bottom.

After a day of duneing, stop by Cherry Republic, for a large assortment of cherry products, ice cream and sit down casual dining.

And don’t forget the pie!

Currently the dunes are protected by “The Sand Dune Protection and Management Act of 1976 designated these as sand dune areas, and the Act was amended in 1989 to designate 74,000 acres (29,600 ha) as Critical Dune Areas, which were characterized as “a unique, irreplaceable, and fragile resource.”

Only 25% of the Great Lakes dunes are in public, protected hands and the way things are going, we might lose access to them forever.