2011 was big year for awards and special recognition for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Leelanau County, but has it had an effect on the number of visitors to the National Park?
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (photo by Mark S. Carlson)
In May, Dr. Beach, the renowned beach scientist who only rates ocean beaches, came to the Great Lakes for the first time. In his beach evaluation, Sleeping Bear Dunes was received the highest rating as the ”Five Great, Great Lakes Beaches.”
In July, American Chef and Food Network star, Mario Batali raised awareness of the region when two blog articles published by Bon Appétit, “How Mario Batali Gets His Drink On In and Around Traverse City, Michigan,” and “How Mario Batali Escapes New York Summers.” The Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau picked up on Batali’s whereabouts this summer as he tweeted his location every few hours in the blog, “Mario’s Passion for Leelanau.” ABC’s Good Morning America also produced a video segment, “Mario Batali on the Wonders of Sleeping Bear.”
The big news came on August 8, 2011 when Good Morning America announced that Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was on of “GMA’s 10 Most Beautiful Places in America.” On August 9, 2011 ABC viewers were introduced to Sleeping Bear Dunes as one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Places on Good Morning America show. Voting took place during that week with the winner being announced on August 17, 2011. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was revealed on national television as the “Most Beautiful Place in America.”
It didn’t take long for Yahoo! Travel to get in on the excitement of Sleeping Bear Dunes with their “Top Five Non-Ocean Beach Destinations” awards. This time Sleeping Bear Dunes did not receive the number one spot, but it did get number two.
Did all the notoriety make a difference in the number of visitor to the National Park? In early October, the National Lakeshore reported that September 2011 visitor numbers were “stellar,” making it the second busiest September on record. October numbers were even better, breaking all past records for that month. Park officials suspect that the high number of visitors was partially due to a long, warm autumn with outstanding fall foliage color. At this time, November 2011 park visitor numbers have not been reported. Even with the spike in visitors this fall, park officials do not expect 2011 to break the record that was set in 2006 for the most park visitors.
Blowing Dune Grasses, Pyramid Dune (by Mark S. Carlson)
Did all the notoriety make a difference in the number of visitor to the National Park? In early October, the National Lakeshore reported that September 2011 visitor numbers were “stellar,” making it the second busiest September on record. October numbers were even better, breaking all past records for that month. Park officials suspect that the high number of visitors was partially due to a long, warm autumn with outstanding fall foliage color. At this time, November 2011 park visitor numbers have not been reported. Even with the spike in visitors this fall, park officials do not expect 2011 to break the record that was set in 2006 for the most park visitors.
The Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau reported that the number of website visitors was fairly similar in 2011 to 2010 number, until June when the number of website visitors increased substantially. The big spike came in August with the “Most Beautiful Place in America” announcement, but fall numbers remained significantly higher all the way through November. Early December numbers are showing the same trend.
The Homestead is surrounded by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and shares the same Lake Michigan beach front. Guests and members can experience the natural beauty of the dunes within the resort property, by hiking the Sleeping Bear Dunes Bay View Trail that adjoins The Homestead, or by taking a short drive to the National Lakeshore itself. The Homestead offers year-round vacation packages and weekend getaways along with dining, skiing, beach club, spa, salon, fitness center, weddings, meetings, reunions and resort real estate. Call for more information, 231.334.5000.
Blog by Ileana Habsburg-Snyder
