Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Glen Haven, Michigan
David Henry Day first came to Glen Haven in 1878, initially serving as a company agent for a company town. Three years later, he purchased the entire town of Glen Haven, including land, buildings, and steamships. For just about 50 years, D.H. Day ran the town of Glen Haven and the surrounding area. Day owned the sawmill, the hotel, and the D.H. Day store. Day also owned cherry orchards, a cannery, and a dairy farm. Glen Haven only began to fade as a town with the improvement of roads in the 1920s. In his later years, Day attempted to transform the Glen Haven area into a vacation destination, including the creation of a state park and a failed attempt to establish a golf course.
D. H. Day passed away in 1928, when the newspapers claimed that “King David of the North” had passed. The Glen Haven of today is more of a ghost town, with visits open only a few times of the year. The buildings appear to be frozen in time, yet they are well-preserved. The Inn is still available for rentals. The store is still open during the summer. The cannery has been converted into a museum that preserves local watercraft. The blacksmith shop was still open for demonstrations. Most of the area remains as a monument to the former town owner, D.H. Day.
A trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes should include a stop in Glen Haven. We lingered a little longer in the town because of the blacksmith demonstration, but an hour in Glen Haven should give you enough time to explore most of the town. If you visit the Life Station, you should double your time in Glen Haven. Glen Haven is a charming area and a highlight of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
