About
Length (round trip)1.5 mi
ShapeOut-and-Back
DifficultyEasy
Typical time45 min
TrailheadEmpire Bluff Trail
ParkingParking at the trailhead.
SurfaceBoardwalk
DogsLeashed / limited stretches
What you'll see 🌄 Big views🏞️ Lake🌼 Wildflowers

Distance Round trip is 1.5 miles Terrain Hilly Vegetation Beech-maple forest, fields, and dune plants Trailhead A vault toilet is available at the trailhead. A small picnic area is at the trailhead. Pets Leashed pets are allowed on this trail. Comments The trail leads to a high bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. A QR code is available at the trailhead for download of a trail map. For your safety and to protect the environment: please do not descend the bluff. The trail ends at the wooden boardwalk. First time hiking in the lakeshore? Follow these tips Breathtaking . . . water so clear and blue . . . bucket-list worthy . . . best view anywhere on the shoreline . . . amazing . . . incomparable sunset . . .picture-postcard sight. . . jaw-dropping . . . not like anything else in the Midwest. Interested? Then don't miss the Empire Bluff Trail. The 1.5-mile round-trip trail climbs through a beech-maple forest rife with wildflowers to a high, coastal bluff featuring the iconic double-dune view that's the subject of paintings, posters, and postcards. Boardwalks and an observation deck atop this lofty perch look out over Lake Michigan and a large chunk of the national lakeshore. A few hill climbs (with some stairs built into the trails) on the way up to the bluff make this a moderate hike: one well worth it! As a hike, Empire Bluff is an excellent and popular choice for families and can be done by most people in under an hour. Pack a lunch and enjoy it with looking out at a view with few rivals. Benches line the trail and there are several spots at the top to kick back and soak it all in. And the sunsets! Bring a flashlight and arrive at near dusk on a clear evening for a sunset second to none. Just a short time after those spectacular sunsets are over, the stars come out in a brilliance and profusion that you can rarely find on Lake Michigan. The pure darkness here makes this a favorite destination for viewing meteor showers. But come early, this place will be full of families out to enjoy the show. And bring your camera with you.

Location

Empire Bluff Trail

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Trail data: USGS National Map / PAD-US, the National Park Service, state agencies, and © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Access and conditions change — check with the managing agency before you go.