In 1980, Miles Boekeloo sold his 365-acre Michigan wilderness retreat to the National Park Service; the deal let his family keep its cabin and 5 acres for another 25 years

For decades, Miles Boekeloo and his family used a secluded property along Michigan’s Lake Michigan shoreline as a private wilderness retreat. In 1980, Boekeloo sold the entire 365.48-acre property to the National Park Service, and the historic property, now known as Boekelodge, became part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Yet the sale came with an unusual arrangement: Boekeloo’s family was allowed to retain the use of five acres containing the family cabin and pond for another 25 years. According to the National Park Service, which documents the history of the property, the agreement allowed the family to remain connected to its longtime retreat until April 2005, while the surrounding landscape became part of the protected national lakeshore.

Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!