Albert E. Sleeper State Park is one of Michigan State Park's "hidden gems." You often may hear of the park system's "crown jewels," such as the Porcupine Mountains or Tahquamenon Falls. But Sleeper, located in Michigan's Thumb and far from the nearest freeway as people rush to go north, often is forgotten and bypassed even though it's just a few hours from the Detroit area.

A visit here is a pleasant surprise for those looking for sylvan solitude closer to home. Arrive on the right day and you may have, all to yourself, four miles of designated hiking trails and 2,700 forested acres of public land with many more miles of deer run type trails. And there is a half mile of sandy shoreline with wooded dunes on Saginaw Bay that often affords the opportunity to see a sunrise and a sunset on the same day.

The area has a gently rolling terrain, thanks to the recession of Lake Huron that began nearly 10,000 years ago. The resulting ecosystem is a wooded dune-and-swale complex that supports at least 129 plant species and the rare oak-pine barrens (only 16 known communities in Michigan). Also found here are deer and an abundance of other animals and birds common to eastern temperate forests. Occasionally, you even might see a fox or coyote. Several years ago, a wayward black bear stumbled through the park, but that may have been a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Sleeper conducts a variety of special events throughout the year. Always popular is the candlelight ski event (snowshoers also welcome) that takes place in January. A geocaching event is planned for May 12. Also on the 2008 schedule is our annual "Walk-through-Time" (May 31-June 3). This event features re-enactors portraying frontier life. The park has a full summer schedule of explorer programs for our campers, and the Camper Cook-Off, Sept. 8, seeks to find the best meal cooked over a campfire as well as let guests enjoy many restaurant sampler booths. Our fun-filled Harvest Festivals (on four consecutive weekends beginning Sept. 26 are especially popular with camping families who have small children. But we are seeing more adults, who may be looking to enjoy a second childhood perhaps, participate in the costume contest.  In fact, about half the participants in the 300-person-strong costume parade each weekend are adults without any kids tagging along!

Sleeper State Park offers 226 modern campsites, one mini-cabin and 14 rustic cabins (which have electricity and heat). Although the toilet/shower buildings are closed from late-October to mid-April, all cabins stay open throughout the year. Reservations are available by calling (800) 447-2757 or by visiting www.midnrreservations.com

State Park motor vehicle permits are required and may be purchased at the park. For more information on Sleeper, please call (989) 856-4411; send an e-mail to lauingeg@michigan.gov or visit the park's Web site at www.michigan.gov/sleeper . We hope to see you soon.