Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Managed by National Park Service
8,777 acres13.3 mi of trail
Windy Moraine TrailEmpire Bluff TrailTreat Farm TrailPebble Beach+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Rachel Kramer · CC BY 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Empire Township
Empire Township has 7,088 acres of parks, 6,042 for every 1,000 residents
41% of Empire Township’s land is conserved, about 9,207 acres. 34 miles of mapped trail cross Empire Township, 1.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (13.3 mi), Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit (11.3 mi), Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness (2.7 mi).
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
41%
9,207 acres · of 35.3 sq mi of land
Trails
34 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
7,088 ac
6,042 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
64%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.2 mi
4.4 mi lanes · 3.8 mi paths
Highest peak
984 ft
Old Baldy Dune
Lakes & rivers
3
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Empire Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Empire Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Empire Township is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Empire Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land41% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (34 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land6,042 acres of park per 1,000 residents (7,088 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home64% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 95%
LessMore
Water is 18% of Empire Township’s area (8 of 43 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 34%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, with 13.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
1,805 acres11.3 mi of trail
Shore-to-Shore Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness
Managed by National Park Service
1,092 acres2.7 mi of trail
No Name TrailTreat Farm TrailEmpire Bluff Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the trailhead
Chippewa Run Natural Area
Managed by Leelanau Conservancy
77 acres1.4 mi of trail
Orchard LoopBeaver Pond LoopOld Field TrailCreek Crossing Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hatlem Creek Preserve
Managed by Leelanau Consevancy
157 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 10 parks & preserves
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore8,777 acres · 13.3 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsPere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit1,805 acres · 11.3 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsSleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness1,092 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsChippewa Run Natural Area77 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Leelanau Conservancy
Hatlem Creek Preserve157 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Leelanau Consevancy
DirectionsManitou Passage Underwater Preserve2,824 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsShalda Park12 acres · Village of Empire
DirectionsLake Michigan Beach Park9 acres · Village of Empire
DirectionsJames R. Johnson Park9 acres · Empire Lions Club
DirectionsOld Settlers' Park7 acres · Leelanau County
Who protects it
9,207 conserved acres
41% of Empire Township’s land. Water is left out: Empire Township has 35.3 square miles of land and 7.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Empire Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service8,711 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits224 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)159 ac
Private owners126 ac
Town or city11 ac
Other state land9 ac
County2 ac
National Lakeshore or Seashore · 7,940 acConservation Easement · 780 acPrivate Conservation · 187 acAgricultural Easement · 159 acPrivate Park · 126 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 941 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore National Lakeshore or Seashore | National Park Service | 7,940 | Open |
| Dunes Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 126 | Restricted |
| Chippewa Run Natural Area Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 116 | Open |
| Hatlem Creek Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 39 | Open |
| Waldemyer Addition to Hatlem Creek Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 31 | Closed |
| Empire Beach Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Lions Club Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Old Settlers Park Local Park | County | 2 | Open |
Things to do
27 places to go in Empire Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Empire Township
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Empire Township
6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Empire Township
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Empire Township
Empire Bluff Scenic OverlookIn Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
DirectionsNorth Bar Lake OverlookIn Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
DirectionsSouth Bar Lake Scenic OverlookIn Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
DirectionsPlus 9 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Empire Township
Old Baldy Dune984 ft elevation · In Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness
DirectionsShauger Hill955 ft elevation · In Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Empire Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Empire Township
1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
13 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.5 miHorses · 6.9 miUnpaved · 33.2 mi
Shore-to-Shore Trail2.7 mi
Windy Moraine Trail1.3 mi
No Name Trail1.0 mi
Treat Farm Trail1.0 mi
Empire Bluff Trail0.8 mi
Orchard Loop0.7 mi
Narada Lake0.4 mi
Beaver Pond Loop0.3 mi
Pebble Beach0.2 mi
Old M-220.2 mi
3 more trails
Old Field Trail
0.2 miCreek Crossing Trail
0.1 miCrossover Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
8.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.8 mi
off-road bike paths
35 (Michigan)Bike route
0.3 miSleeping Bear Heritage TrailBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
7Tennis
2Pickleball
2Baseball
2Softball
1Basketball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Empire SchoolBuilding · listed 2008
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Empire Township: May to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.1 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 29 | 39 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 69 | 56 | 43 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Empire Township →
Next door
Empire Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Township | 41% | 1.0 | 6,042 | 64% | A |
| Kasson Township | 3% | 0.3 | 435 | 34% | B |
| Glen Arbor Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Platte Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Empire Township
Where can I hike in Empire Township?
The longest trail networks: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 13.3 miles; Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit, 11.3 miles; Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, 2.7 miles; Chippewa Run Natural Area, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Empire Township is conserved land?
41% of its land, against a typical 5% for a Michigan town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Empire Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Empire Township?
8.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.4 of painted or protected lanes and 3.8 of off-road paths. Named routes: 35 (Michigan) and Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.
Is there public land near Empire Township?
27,996 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Empire Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,088 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Empire Township have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Empire Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →