Alligator Hill Trail - Empire,
Alligator Hill Trail: A Dog-Friendly Hiking Spot in Empire, MI
Discover Alligator Hill Trail, a scenic destination for dog owners and nature lovers located in Empire, Michigan. This popular dog park and hiking trail features pet-friendly loops winding through dense forests and open sandy areas, with beautiful lake vistas at several overlooks. Dogs are welcome on-leash throughout the trail, making it a great spot for dog-friendly hiking adventures in the Sleeping Bear Dunes region.
The trail offers multiple loops with varying levels of difficulty, ranging from easy to challenging climbs—perfect for both casual walkers and those seeking a longer trek (up to 6+ miles). Amenities include well-maintained public restrooms (porta-potties) at the entrance and wheelchair accessible parking, ensuring a comfortable visit for all guests. Alligator Hill Trail is known for its well-kept paths and breathtaking views, making it a top choice for pet-friendly trails in Empire, MI.
FAQ
- Are dogs allowed at this park? Yes, dogs are allowed on-leash throughout Alligator Hill Trail.
- Are there walking or hiking trails connected to the park? Yes, the park consists of several connected hiking loops of varying lengths and difficulty.
- Is the park wheelchair accessible? Yes, there is a wheelchair accessible parking lot at the entrance.
- Are restrooms available for owners? Yes, clean public restrooms (porta-potties) are available at the trail entrance.
- Is the park regularly cleaned and maintained? Yes, the park service keeps the trails and restrooms well maintained.
- Is this park good for kids? Yes, the trail is kid-friendly with several loops suitable for families.
Reviews
Great hike. Raspberries were ripe along the trail for added fun. Blackberries should be ripe soon! Trail is a loop about 2 miles. Park service does a great job maintaining the trail.
Really nice trail, well marked and enjoyable views of the lake at a couple lookouts. The portion labeled advanced wasn’t too challenging, so don’t let it discourage you from heading that way
Some great hiking loops! This is a relatively popular hiking spot with a couple overlooks and multiple levels of difficulty. You can get over 6 miles if doing a large loop touching all trails.
While the easy loop is listed as “easy,” I’d say comparatively to the area, it should be listed closer to moderate due to the long inclines and sandy footing along most of the trail.
Good trail. We could find any markers so we turned around around 1 1 /2 miles because it was sometimes strenuous for us out of shape folks and we didn’t want to mistakenly go the full 9 miles. Lovely trail through a forest , then sandy more open areas . They have the cleanest port a potty I have ever been in . It’s at the entrance.
You’ll see a nice view with an alligator shaped hill. Uphill way up, downhill way down.