TRAVERSE CITY — Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was named the fourth best “one-of-a-kind” beach in the world by TripAdvisor on Feb. 17, 2026. The northern Michigan site was the only location in the state recognized in the travel platform’s Travelers’ Choice Awards.
The ranking is based on a high volume of positive reviews and opinions submitted to the TripAdvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of 8 million listings on the platform, fewer than 1% achieve the Travelers’ Choice Award milestone. TripAdvisor uses the data from 80 million reviews and contributions to identify the highest levels of excellence in global travel.
The national lakeshore features sand dunes that rise 450 feet from Lake Michigan at steep angles. TripAdvisor described the location as a place where visitors can walk down to the base to picnic and lounge along the water, noting that guests must then climb back up the steep incline.
Sleeping Bear Dunes shared the global spotlight with 18 other locations, including beaches in Hawaii, the Bahamas, Australia, Italy and Brazil. Other categories in the Travelers’ Choice Awards included the top 10 beaches in the United States and the top 10 beaches in the world. Sleeping Bear Dunes was the only Michigan location included on any of the listings.
Trevor Tkach serves as the president of Traverse City Tourism. He highlighted the unique nature of the fresh-water destination. “Exploring the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore truly is a magical experience,” Tkach said. “The pure, fresh-water beaches are unlike any other shoreline in the world.”
Laura Ann Johnson is the executive director for the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes. She said the ranking reinforces the area’s reputation as a historical and natural landmark. “This ranking validates what we locals already know — Sleeping Bear Dunes is an iconic example of Pure Michigan,” Johnson said. “This recognition reminds everyone of the beauty, nature and history that can be found right here in Michigan.”
Johnson also noted that the international attention underscores the necessity of preservation. She said the recognition is “why the work the National Park Service and the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes does to protect our wonderful landscape is so important.”
Traverse City Tourism is an independent, nonprofit destination organization that promotes the region for leisure and business travel. The organization aims to strengthen the local economy and support the entrepreneurial community through travel impacts.