Sleeping Bear Dunes overlook removed, park service says
On a viewing platform, visitors look out across Lake Michigan from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore park, Michigan, 2010. (Photo by Interim Archives/Getty Images)
(FOX 2) - The experience for fans of Sleeping Bear Dunes will be a little different this summer when they venture out to the lakeshore for another visit to one of Michigan's crown jewels.
That's because the main structure that offered views of the dunescape is gone.
What they're saying:
The National Park Service said strong winds swept away the sand at the base of the wooden overlook that provided views of rolling dunes and Lake Michigan in the background.
The erosion was so bad the western pilings were no longer on solid ground.
"This loss of structural integrity was an imminent safety concern. The platform has been removed," the park said.
Dig deeper:
When the platform was initially built, the landscape looked a lot different.
West Michigan's dunes don't stay still and instead shift and move along the coast, creating a dynamic ecosystem with grasses and animals evolving to thrive along their changing nature.
But that means man-made structures are susceptible to the same changes.
Michigan sand dunes increasingly covered by plants and trees, new study shows
A new study compared old photos of Sleeping Bear, Silver Lake, Warren, and other sand dune sites with updated ones, revealing a dramatic pattern of change along Lake Michigan.
The Source: A social media post from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was used while reporting this story.