Empire
A four-block Lake Michigan bluff village with a 1946 neon tavern, world-class dark chocolate, and the headquarters of Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Empire was once home to the largest hardwood sawmill in Michigan; now it has zero stoplights and likes it that way.
The Scenic Drive Overlook Trek
Strap on snowshoes at the closed gate of Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and trek out to Overlook #9 where the bluff drops 450 feet to the frozen lake, then head down into Empire for a Friendly Burger and a pint at Joe's.
Bluff Wind & Chocolate Steam
Pick up an Edmund Fitzgerald sandwich at Shipwreck Cafe, hike out to the wooden boardwalk on Empire Bluff Trail to watch the clouds race past South Manitou Island, then warm your fingers around a cup of dark drinking chocolate at Grocer's Daughter.
Stop at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center, hike Empire Bluff Trail, grab hot chocolate at Grocer's Daughter and lunch at Shipwreck Cafe, and finish with burgers at Joe's Friendly Tavern.
Stay at Empire Lakeshore Inn, spend Saturday snowshoeing Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and eating pizza at Empire Village Inn, then spend Sunday morning watching ice volcanoes at Empire Beach after breakfast at Joe's.
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Joe's Friendly Tavern
Open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wood-paneled walls, sizzler burgers on wax paper, full breakfasts, and a neon sign that glows like a lighthouse in a lake-effect whiteout.
11015 W Front St, Empire, MI 49630 · (231) 326-5506 · Website ↗
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Shipwreck Cafe
Open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Named after the schooners lying off Empire Beach, serving massive hot deli sandwiches (try the Edmund Fitzgerald), scratch soups, and huge cookies.
11691 S Lacore St, Empire, MI 49630 · (231) 835-2580 · Website ↗
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Empire Village Inn
Open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday–Saturday 3–9 p.m. Deep-dish pizzas, calzones, and cold pints in a former historic stagecoach stop.
11601 S Lacore St, Empire, MI 49630 · (231) 326-5101 · Website ↗
The Friendly Sizzler Burger & Spiced Drinking Chocolate Chaser
Smash a seasoned chuck patty hard onto a screaming-hot flat-top with caramelized white onions and American cheese on a toasted bun; follow with 70% dark chocolate whisked into steamed whole milk with cinnamon and cayenne.
Three things most people walk past.
- The sinuous cedar boardwalk on Empire Bluff half-buried in wind-whipped snowdrifts.
- The Robert H. Manning Memorial Lighthouse standing against steel-gray winter surf at Empire Beach.
- The vintage 1940s neon 'Joe's Friendly Tavern' sign reflecting on wet snow along Front Street.
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Joe's Friendly Tavern Bar
Pull up a stool after hiking Empire Bluff for a Stormcloud Rainmaker Pale Ale and a basket of onion rings.
11015 W Front St, Empire, MI 49630 · (231) 326-5506 · Website ↗
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Empire Village Inn Taproom
Knotty pine, red-checkered spirit, local Michigan taps, and a warm bar when the snow stacks up on M-22.
11601 S Lacore St, Empire, MI 49630 · (231) 326-5101 · Website ↗
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St. Ambrose Cellars (15 min south in Beulah)
Just down the road from Empire; a spectacular vaulted timber-frame hall pouring honey meads, hard ciders, and wood-fired pizzas with live winter music.
841 S Pioneer Rd, Beulah, MI 49617 · (231) 882-2337 · Website ↗
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Grocer's Daughter Chocolate
Direct-trade Ecuadorian cacao turned into thick, European-style drinking chocolate and spicy truffles in a bright green cottage directly across from the National Park visitor center.
11590 S Lacore St, Empire, MI 49630 · (231) 326-3030 · Website ↗
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Shipwreck Cafe Coffee Bar
Piping hot Higher Grounds coffee and breakfast burritos before hitting the trailhead.
11691 S Lacore St, Empire, MI 49630 · (231) 835-2580 · Website ↗
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Hiking the Wind-Scoured Empire Bluff Trail
A 1.5-mile round trip climbing through snow-draped hardwoods to a 400-foot coastal bluff overlooking South Bar Lake and giant Lake Michigan ice ridges.
Wilco Rd Trailhead, 1 mile south of Empire off M-22, Empire, MI 49630 · Website ↗
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Backcountry Skiing Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
Closed to cars in winter, the 7.4-mile hilly loop road becomes an ungroomed backcountry ski and snowshoe paradise out to the Lake Michigan Overlook.
Pierce Stocking Trailhead on M-109, 3 miles north of Empire, MI 49630 · Website ↗
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Philip A. Hart Visitor Center (Sleeping Bear Dunes NPS)
Loaner snowshoes for Ranger-led hikes (call ext. 5010); full rentals 8 min north at Crystal River Outfitters in Glen Arbor
Local customNever, ever stepping out onto the hollow Lake Michigan ice shelves—locals will yell you back to dry sand immediately.
- Stopping at Grocer's Daughter for a shot of Mayan spicy drinking chocolate before attempting the windy boardwalk at Empire Bluff.
- The bulletin board outside the Empire Post Office on Front Street is the only social media platform that matters.
- Everyone knows the exact difference between an 'ice ridge,' 'pancake ice,' and an 'ice volcano' at Empire Beach.
Usually Saturdays in January and February 2027
Ranger-Led Candlelight Hikes & Winter Snowshoe Walks
National Park rangers lead snowshoe treks through old-growth beech-maple forest and lantern-lit loops at the base of the dunes.
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Empire Lakeshore Inn
Walkable to Joe's Friendly Tavern, Grocer's Daughter Chocolate, and the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center.
11730 S Lacore St, Empire, MI 49630 · (231) 326-5145 · Website ↗
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Cottonwood Inn Bed & Breakfast
A rambling historic farmhouse on the edge of the village, walking distance to the ice shelves of Empire Beach.
9583 W Front St, Empire, MI 49630 · (231) 326-5535 · Website ↗
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Sleeping Bear Resort
Twenty minutes inland from Empire on Herendeen Lake, hosting winter yoga retreats, private fire pits, and quiet woods.
7670 Reynolds Rd, Lake Ann, MI 49650 · (231) 642-7000 · Website ↗
Bring a little Empire homeA Little More Winter printFor the wall you look at when it is July and you miss this.Have a look ↗