Michigan · National Lakeshore trail

Empire Bluff Trail - South Bar Lake View

in Michigan

About .5 miles from the Empire Bluffs trailhead is a bench marking the South Bar Lake overlook. From here, you can take in the stunning view towards the north from which you can see South Bar Lake and the sweep of Lake Michigan's Platte Bay all the way to the Sleeping Bear Dune. A bar lake is formed when winds and currents build a sandbar across a bay, isolating that bay from the larger lake.

Declining lake levels can, and in this case did, greatly accelerate this process. As vegetation takes hold, the exposed sandbar traps more sediments and decaying vegetation starts to build up soil, further heightening and stabilizing the barrier between parent and daughter lake. To the north of South Bar Lake is the equally imaginatively named North Bar Lake, a popular spot for wading and swimming.

States: Michigan
Trail type: National Lakeshore trail
Centroid nearest city: Grand Rapids, MI · 128 mi · ~3.7 hr drive
Centroid coords: 44.8013°, -86.0672°

About Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

National Lakeshore

This trail is inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a national lakeshore managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $25 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/empire-bluff-trail-south-bar-lake-view.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Empire Bluff Trail - South Bar Lake View and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.