south manitou island

"The Chippewa Indians legend tells us of the mother bear, Mishe Mokwa, who fled a great forest fire in Wisconsin with her two cubs. Mishe Mokwa reached the Michigan shore and climbed a steep bluff to await her cubs. The cubs, exhausted by their long swim, never reached land. The mother bear waited day after day to no avail. Finally she died. The Great Spirit Manitou marked her resting place with the Sleeping Bear Dunes and raised North and South Manitou Islands from the spot where the cubs perished."

eight adventurous souls crossed the waters to south manitou island on the july 4th weekend to camp, hike, and play. smi is approximately 17 miles out into lake michigan and part of the sleeping bear dunes national park.

it was my third time back to smi and it's still as beautiful as ever! after weathering a rough thunderstorm in the early morning, several of us hiked 8.5 miles across the island, up the dunes, down the dunes, and back around along the shore line. If you ever have the chance to camp/hike there, do it (and don't forget to invite me along!!)