Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Superintendent Scott Tucker is pleased to announce that the entrance fee to the Lakeshore will be waived today, Monday, Jan. 18 in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The National Lakeshore — along with 422 other units of the national park system — is waiving entrance fees for the holiday as part of a nationwide initiative to encourage everyone to visit the many wonders of their national parks across America. The other fee-free days this year include: April 17 (First Day of National Park Week), Aug. 4 (one year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act), Aug. 25 (National Park Service Birthday), Sept. 25 (National Public Lands Day), and Nov. 11 (Veterans Day).

Visit the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire (open 9am to 4pm daily) to learn about what the park has to offer this time of year. Bring your tube or saucer and enjoy the designated sledding hill at the Dune Climb (pictured) or cross-country ski/snowshoe one of the many trails in the park. (Be sure to check current weather conditions to ensure there is sufficient snow for winter recreation activities.)

Photo: Courtesy Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore