The Empire Bluff trail leads walkers on a 1.5 mile round trip hike up to the bluff looking out over Lake Michigan and towards South Bar Lake. When the weather is clear you can see South Manitou Island.
To get more information on the Empire Bluff, you can visit the National Parks Service site here.
Cool things to do: look out for the 6 numbered posts and read in the trail map brochure about that area, make sure to look for old farming equipment from the early settlements, give yourself enough time either before of after your hike to stop in the village of Empire and enjoy a nice refreshing drink and a look around the town.
DO NOT DESCEND THE BLUFF - It looks like fun, but in order to protect the bluff from erosion it is best to stay at the top (and it is really, really, really hard to get back up).
Empire is the southernmost town in Leelanau County and is approximately 25 miles due west of Traverse City. Empire is located in the center of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on the shore of Lake Michigan. Empire is well know for its breathtaking views of Lake Michigan, the dunes, and the Manitou Islands. Two nearby inland lakes, North and South Bar, offer enjoyable swimming for children.
Empire was founded in 1864 when John LaRue, who founded Glen Arbor, moved down the shoreline to what is now Empire. The new community soon built a mill and started harvesting lumber. Lumber was sold to passing steamers for use as fuel. In 1849 the steamer Empire went around nearby what soon became the town of Empire. In 1865 the schooner Empire was icebound off shore and the village was named after the two ships. In 1887 the Empire Lumber Company was established, it turned the small mill complex into one of the largest hardwood mills in the state, and led to the economic growth of Empire. As forests were cleared farming was soon established. Local farmers soon realized that the Leelanau Peninsula soil was perfectly suited to fruit, and orchards sprang up. Empire was also a stop on the Empire and Southeastern Railroad, which transported passengers, lumber, and produce.
Almost 60 years after the heyday of lumbering in Empire, the Empire Air Force Station was built, in 1951, as a norther outpost to detect Soviet action. The Station was used to alert the Air Force of any imminent attack. The Station is now closed, but many of the veterans of this site still live in Empire and Leelanau County. Empire Area Museum Center houses many artifacts from the station. The museum complex includes a main museum, a one-room school house, a barn with horse-drawn equipment, Taghon's Corner Museum (Gas Station), and a 1911 vintage hose house (fire station). Empire is also home to the headquarters of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Empire, Michigan Links
Please feel welcome to suggest any links for Empire in the comments!
Photo: Empire Beach by Andy McFarlane
Sap Buckets, photo by Jim Sorbie
News from the Week
The week's news featured a rare upcoming appearance by landscape artist Russel Chatham at the Dennos (Apr 4), a clip from Song of Lakes new Live at Interlochen DVD, a cool ice boating video, news that the courthouse redevelopment in Leland will receive brownfield aid and - for all you seasonally disaffected folks who aren't headed somewhere warm - a neat photo of an iris from a warmer spring!
The Week's Weather
The week's weather featured a lot of sun but not a lot of heat. Jim said that there was maple sap in those buckets - a sure sign of spring!
March 20, 2008: Flurries & 20s (30/25)
March 21, 2008: Sunny & 20s (32/18)
March 22, 2008: Sunny & upper 20s (32/18)
March 23, 2008: Light snow and low 30s (33/19)
March 24, 2008: Mostly sunny & 30 (34/7)
March 25, 2008: Cloudy, light snow, rain, and in between & 40s (45/30)
March 26, 2008: Mostly sunny & 40 (43/26)
Click for the Leelanau news archive from March 2007 and our March 2008 page.
I learned that when they say 2 PM in Empire, they don't mean 2:03 PM!
Fortunately Jim was there and able to capture some great shots from the Polar Bear Dip at Empire Winterfest 2008.
Our Leelanau(dot)com photo group on Flickr now has 50 members! One of these is Katie (KT of Lake Orion), who is tired of the snow and says that North Bar Lake is one of the best places to spend a summer day. Click to see it bigger and if you're a photographer, please feel welcome to join the group.
I couldn't agree more and it's definitely a welcome sight!
The Leelanau Enterprise reports that snowmobilers from all over the state are expected to participate Saturday (Feb 2) in the "Roy Taghon Memorial Ride" from the Empire Airport (meet at noon) and ride to Maple City for a 2 PM buffet at Benchwarmer’s Sports Bar and Grille and a dedication ceremony.
There will be a $10 charge per person for lunch that will go toward a music scholarship fund being established in his name. Roy passed on January 20, 2008 and you can read Roy's obituary in the Leelanau Enterprise and also read and share your memories in an online guestbook.
The annual Empire Winterfest will be held next weekend (Feb 8-9). Highlights from past years have included a Friday night bonfire and ice skating on South Bar Lake, kids games, curling and the the legendary Polar Bear Dip on Saturday and the Winterfest Parade from the top to the bottom of Empire's Base Hill.
There's a whole bunch of information from Empire Winterfest 2007 on the Leelanau Blog. You can see more photos from the Empire Polar Bear Dip and check the Empire Chamber web site.
Photo: Extra Points for Sheer Insanity detail by Andy McFarlane
The Leelanau Enterprise reports that the snowmobile trail from Empire Airport to Maple City - Leelanau County's only official trail - is in good shape this year and drawing praise from riders. Florian Czerniak of the Cedar Hilltoppers Snowmobile Club (the group that established the trail in 2000) explained that the trail fits into Michigan's snowmobile trail network:
Czerniak said having the Maple City-Empire trail as part of a network of trails overseen by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is a nice feature for snowmobilers. “If you want you can ride from Maple City all the way to Manistee. If you follow the right trails you can make it all the way to Kalkaska and Grayling, if you have a mind to,” he said.
Read A great day to be out in the Enterprise.
Photo: Winter in the Leelanau Peninsula by John Levanen
The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore offers guided snowshoe hikes every Saturday during January and February. Hikes begin at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center on Highway M-72 at the edge of the village of Empire at at 1 PM and you can call the Visitor Center at 231-326-5134, ext. 328 to make a reservation and check here for more about skiing & snowshoeing trails in the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
We have to point out that most of the trails in the Lakeshore are well marked and easy to navigate, so if you can't make a guided tour, don't let that slow you down!
Photo credit: On the lip by jonwilli
Manning Memorial Lighthouse, Empire, MI by Jim Sorbie
News from the Week
Be sure to follow the link on the photo above for more info on this lighthouse and to get it "wallpaper size"! News from the week included a story on Leelanau native Alisha Glass helping to lead Penn State to the National Volleyball title. We also had a story on a special preview screening of Rich Brauer's new film Mr. Art Critic at the State Theater, news that Bingham Township is considering ways to boost agricultural tourism and a link to the Winter 2008 edition of the Beechnut Review from Leland School.
The Week's Weather
Last week was cold cloudy & snowy up until Tuesday when it became warm, cloudy and less snowy. Kidding ... mostly. The important thing is that even with the warmer temps, we still have solid snow cover!
December 13, 2007: Snow & 30s (33/21)
December 14, 2007: Flurries & 20s (32/10)
December 15, 2007: Light snow & low 20s (24/1)
December 16, 2007: Snow, wind and 20s (30/24)
December 17, 2007: Flurries & upper 20s (30/21)
December 18, 2007: Partly sunny & upper 30s (39/28)
December 19, 2007: Light freezing drizzle, flurries & mid 30s (35/28)
Click for the Leelanau news archive from December 2006!
