Empire Bluffs Trail at Sleeping Dunes National Lakeshore

Carved by receding glaciers more than 11,000 years ago, Empire Bluffs Trail along Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a beloved hiking spot for visitors to Northern Michigan. Protected and managed by our dedicated National Park Service, this hiking trail traverses shifting, steep sand dunes and winds through beech and maple stands, patches of wildflowers, and fluttering dune grass. Overlooking breathtaking Lake Michigan, this is a spectacular hiking path perfect for novice to experienced hikers. Bring a picnic (but be sure to pack out everything you bring with you), and enjoy the crystal-clear, turquoise waters of the beloved lake I grew up on. This is one of the best hikes in Michigan!

Empire Bluffs Hike Along Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Written and Photographed by Luxury Travel Writer Annie Fairfax

Empire Bluffs Trail at Sleeping Dunes National Lakeshore

Length: 1.5 Miles round trip
Special Designation: National Lakeshore
Difficulty: Beginner
Address: Empire Bluffs Trailhead, Wilco Rd
Empire, MI, 49630
Admission Price: $25 week pass or
$80 Annual National Park Permit
Established: 1970

What to Bring

Dress for the weather and prepare for the ever-changing nature of our beautiful Great Lakes. I recommend bringing water, a camera, binoculars, and wearing comfortable hiking shoes with tall socks.

This is the perfect spot to enjoy lunch or a picnic, so if you feel like bringing lunch and enjoying it with one of Michigan’s most spectacular views, it’s the perfect opportunity to do so!

The Legend of Sleeping Bear Dunes

Don’t visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore without learning the legend of Sleeping Bear Dunes. A mother bear and her two cubs were driven out of the forest due to fire and forced to swim to the opposite shore of the sand dunes. The shores were much further apart than they’d looked on land, and the cubs succumbed to their exhaustion. When the mother bear reached the shore, she waited endlessly for her cubs to join her.

Her vigil lasted so long, not understanding that they had drowned, that she was eventually covered in sand, creating Sleeping Bear Dunes. Her refusal to give up on her little ones so greatly impressed the Great Spirit that She created North and South Manitou Islands to honor the lost cubs where they had sunk to the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Now, the two islands are watched over by towering Sleeping Bear Dunes, and the bears are once again united forever in death.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Incredible Hiking, Swimming, and Birding Most Beautiful Place in America by Annie Fairfax

The Views

As you can see, the views from the Empire Bluffs trail are simply spectacular. These incredible views have captured the hearts of countless artists and authors worldwide, inspiring endless sand dune art, stories, and legends. It’s easy to see why many families vacation here year after year.

Be certain that if you climb down the dunes to the water, you can get back up. It’s $3,000 USD to be rescued by helicopter. Per person. So if you don’t think you can climb up nearly 40 stories of hot, shifting sands, don’t do it! You don’t want to be ‘that person‘ who gets airlifted to safety, do you? Everyone would stare, and that would be so awkward. Your friends would never let you live it down!