Leelanau Pines is a family run campground in Northwest Michigan situated between Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park and Traverse City. It’s also situated right on Lake Leelanau. It did not have some of the amenities that some of the other campgrounds we’ve stayed at have had (pool) but was quiet and clean. We did, in fact, come here for the national park.
The campground caters to a majority of seasonal campers but is in demand. I made all of our summer camping reservations back in January and the best I could do here was to reserve the full hook-up site above for four nights and then switch to a water/electric site for the remaining two nights of our six night stay. It has a boat launch and small boats are available to rent to go out on Lake Leelanau. It has a swimming beach but we opted not to partake as Linda nearly tripped over this fella pictured below. He/she did not seem frightened of us at all and eventually took to the water and swam right underneath the steps leading to the swim basin.
We swam plenty in Lake Michigan, Glen Lake and Platte River so not swimming here didn’t keep us from the water for six days. Leelanau Pines had a great playground and we rode our bikes and explored the woods a fare share. The kids found a lean to built by kids that stay or have previously stayed here.
When we weren’t hiking or swimming in the national park we went out a few times in both Glen Arbor and Traverse City but I don’t think the kids have dined anywhere as iconic as Sleder’s yet.
Sleder’s Family Tavern has been a Traverse City landmark for 138 years and is the longest continuously operating restaurant in Michigan. In that time thousands have climbed the ladder and kissed Randolph the moose. We kissed the Michigan icon as well which can be seen on our video link at the bottom of this page.
We also had ice cream at another famous place in Traverse City. Moomers makes more than 160 flavors of ice cream and has it’s own dairy farm. We got the recommendation from a boy Sarah befriended at the campground and Moomers did not disappoint.
Click the video link below to see more of Leelanau Pines Campground, Sleder’s and Moomers as well as a great playground that kept the kids busy while Linda perused the shops in Glen Arbor.
Stay tuned as we’re off to explore Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park next. Thanks for stopping by.
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