• Distance: 3.5 miles (round trip)

• Terrain: Strenuous, hilly terrain that is all sand with no shade. Travels over 9 hills through high dune plateaus.

• Vegetation: Rolling dunes of open sand, with patches of beach grass, wildflowers and a lone cottonwood here and there.

• Trailhead: The Dune Climb, M-109, restrooms are available and bookstore.

• Pets: Pets are prohibited.

Comments:
The Dunes Trail, a 3.5-mile round trip, takes devoted hikers across a sandy dunescape to the cool waters of Lake Michigan. This hike is challenging. If you have trouble scaling the Dune Climb at the beginning, think twice before continuing on, as you will have to climb five more dunes of various heights. The hike up and down over sand dunes offers multiple views of Glen Lake and Lake Michigan, and the sparse dune ecology.

Fees: A National Park Pass is required. A variety of options are available and can be purchased online or at the Visitors Center in Empire.

Location: The Dune Climb, M-109, Empire