Pierce Stocking, a native of northern Lower Michigan, worked as a lumberman and spent much of his leisure time in the woods. He wanted to share his love of nature with others and conceived the idea of constructing a scenic drive onto the Sleeping Bear Dunes. He envisioned people of all ages and degrees of physical fitness experiencing the sand dunes and the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan. At the same time, he hoped to protect the fragile dunes and woods from excessive human use by concentrating activity along the road and at scenic overlooks and picnic areas. In 1967, Pierce Stocking fulfilled his dream with the opening of the scenic drive to the public. The drive was operated privately until 1977 when it became a part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.