Here’s what’s open, closed in Sleeping Bear Dunes during the federal shutdown

EMPIRE, MI -- It’s a quiet start to the fall season in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The lights are off and the gates are closed at some of the park’s visitor attractions.

Staffing is down to a minimum across national parks during the federal government shutdown that went into effect Wednesday, Oct. 1.

An estimated 9,296 federal employees were furloughed across the National Park Service.

The NPS lapsed funding plan, updated on Sept. 30, 2025, instructs employees to only run the essentials deemed “necessary to protect life and property."

The spokesperson for Sleeping Bear Dunes did not comment on MLive’s request for specifics on what is closed in the park because they are furloughed and cannot respond to work calls and emails.

Here’s what the volunteer nonprofit Friends of Sl