The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail will be extended thanks to a $1.6 million federal grant.
Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow announced the grant on Tuesday in a press release.
The U.S. Department of Transportation grant will support the construction of the trail segment running from the heart of the Port Oneida Rural Historic District eastward towards Good Harbor Bay.
Construction will began in August, and the first segment, four miles of trail from the Dune Climb to Glen Arbor will open next June.
Plans are for the full trail to extend 27 miles throughout the lakeshore, connecting all of the parks most popular beaches and attractions.
"Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was rated the most beautiful place in America," said Stabenow, "With the extension of the Heritage Trail, we can increase safe access to the sights, sounds and beauty of the Lakeshore while promoting one of our state's top tourist attractions."
