Sleeping Bear Announces Removal Of Popular Pierce Stocking Overlook Platform

By Craig Manning | May 23, 2025

A popular overlook platform within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has been removed, the park announced Thursday. The platform, part of the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, was irreparably damaged during the winter.

“Over the winter, the dune severed ties with the wooden viewing platform,” Sleeping Bear shared on its Facebook page. “Strong winds undercut the sand at the base of the platform and the western pilings no longer touched solid ground. This loss of structural integrity was an imminent safety concern. The platform has been removed.”

“When built, this structure was a considerable distance from the edge of the dune face,” the post elaborated. “But these dunes are an everchanging dynamic system that is moving east. The dune has now moved further east than the platform location.”

While the platform is gone, the post promised that “the awe-inspiring views remain the same.” Those views can be experienced now, as the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive has officially opened for the 2025 season.

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