Sleeping Bear Tour Co.

05/13/2026

This is the most exciting time of year for Great Lakes Piping Plover lovers with pair, nest and individual numbers changing daily! Currently, we have recorded a total of 32 pairs and 32 nests (32 active) and at least 24 additional potential pairs. For comparison at this time in 2025, we had 36 nests and 24 potential pairs. For the most part, we appear to be closely tracking the 2025 pair numbers. There are extra females and males floating around the Great Lakes that haven’t paired up and new plovers arriving daily. And several locations have not yet been monitored. The first wild eggs are expected to hatch in Green Bay, Wisconsin around May 28th. It's shaping up to be a great start to the nesting season! Thank you to everyone out there helping to monitor and protect the Great Lakes Piping Plovers!

If you observe orange banded or flagged piping plovers report your sightings to [email protected] or [email protected] .

05/01/2026

04/30/2026

04/27/2026

We’re thrilled to be featured in MLive highlighting the Great Lakes Piping Plover Program and our guided experiences with Sleeping Bear Tour Co.

These tiny, endangered shorebirds return to the Sleeping Bear Dunes shoreline each season—and seeing them in their natural habitat is truly something special. Our guided walks are designed to share that experience responsibly, while helping protect these incredible birds and their nesting areas.

If you’ve ever wanted a rare, up-close look at one of the Great Lakes’ most remarkable wildlife stories, this is it.

Read the full feature here:
https://www.mlive.com/life/2026/04/piping-plover-tours-guided-walks-take-you-to-see-tiny-birds-on-a-sleeping-bear-beach.html

Spots for guided tours are limited during nesting season—book early if you’d like to join us on the dunes this year.

Great Lakes Piping Plover Recovery Effort

Sleeping Bear Tour Co. has the only guided piping plover tours that are permitted within the national lakeshore. The protected nesting areas on Sleeping Bear's beaches have played a huge part in the recovery of these tiny shore birds.

04/22/2026

We had the opportunity to walk the forest with 9&10 News to talk about something close to our hearts—connecting people to the land in a meaningful way, especially on Earth Day 🌎

At Sleeping Bear Tour Co., every tour is more than just a view—it’s a chance to slow down, notice the details, and experience the dunes, forests, and shoreline with intention.

Grateful to share our story and how our Forest Hike has evolved to naturally include elements like forest bathing, creating space for a deeper connection with this incredible place.

Full interview below.

Sleeping Bear Tour Co. offers unique forest bathing experiences at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, providing participants with a sensory-focused way to connect with nature. These guided tours encourage a deeper interaction with the environment, moving beyond traditional sightseeing.Julie Den...

04/21/2026

Experience the excitement in person! We provide Michigan's only Great Lakes Piping Plover experience. Stand responsibly in the presence of this Great Lakes treasure.

Great Lakes piping plovers are officially back on the beaches of Sleeping Bear Dunes, and honestly… the drama may already be unfolding.

These tiny beach dwellers may be adorable, endangered, and fiercely protected; but one thing they are not is committed to lifelong love. That’s right: plovers don’t mate for life, and every spring the shoreline turns into a full-on bird version of Love Island.

Will last year’s couples reunite? Will someone ditch their old mate for a fresh start on a new stretch of sand? Will a surprise new arrival turn up and cause a love triangle by the dune grass?

If you’re new to the plover fan club, each bird gets a short “nickname” based on the colored bands on their ankles.

Some former pairs are already reunited and looking solid:
• GOO and BbL (Bubble)
• OGY and LVY
• YOV and bbO (Baby‑O)
• YbB and GVb

But down in Platte Bay, things are a bit more… interesting.

bNG (Bing), who was with PRL (Pearl) last year, appears to be paired up with bVV this season. And bVR (Beaver), formerly with YOYO, seems to be spending time with a young female, ORX, who hasn’t received her adult ID yet.

The dunes are buzzing, feathers may be ruffled, and we’ll be tuning in all spring.

And while all this plover drama unfolds, here’s where you come in: these tiny birds nest right on the open sand, making them especially vulnerable. If you’re visiting the beaches, please keep dogs on a leash and off closed sections of shoreline entirely.
Even the friendliest pup can accidentally scare a nesting plover off its eggs.

Give these small but mighty birds the space they need for a successful season… drama and all.
https://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/pets.htm

NPS Photo/Mary Lundeburg

04/12/2026

They’re back—but not for long.

The endangered Great Lakes Piping Plover returns each spring to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and our tour season is brief—mid-May through mid-July—before they fly south again.

Join us during this short window for a guided Plover Tour and experience something few ever get to see. As Michigan’s only tour dedicated to these remarkable birds, we’ll share their story, point out nesting areas, and offer a rare, respectful look at a species on the edge of recovery.

A fleeting season. A powerful experience. 🌿

04/09/2026

They’re back!

The Great Lakes Piping Plovers have officially returned to the shores of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore—a quiet but powerful sign that summer is on its way.

Each year, these endangered birds make an incredible journey to nest along our lakeshore. Seeing them in person is something few ever get to experience.

We’re honored to offer the only tour in Michigan focused on the piping plovers—sharing their story while protecting the fragile shoreline they depend on.

A small bird. A long journey. A rare chance to witness it.

03/24/2026

03/20/2026

Happy Spring everyone. Be sure to📍a stop on your route to experience the magic of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore this summer. 🌳⛱️🐻

Dune Tour - 1.5 hr.
Forest Hike - 3 hr.
Highlights Drive - 3 hr.