Empire Beach
Empire is a quaint little village in the southwest corner of Leelanau County, sitting on the lakeshore of Michi Gami and contains South Bar Lake. On our way back from camping at Leelanau State Park we decided to try and go to as many rock beaches along Lake Michigan’s shore as we could before heading inland, and Empire Beach was our last stop except for Point Betsie Lighthouse. Looming off to the south of the Empire Beach are the Empire Bluffs, which are maintained by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. To the north, you can see the beginnings of the main part of Sleeping Bear Dunes and South Manitou Island. Empire Beach has a basketball court, a small playground, bathrooms, a lighthouse, and access to South Bar Lake. Although the park itself isn’t huge, it’s well worth your stop to have lunch, search for rocks, or just enjoy something new.
