EMPIRE, MI -- Get a clear view of both Manitou Islands without the ferry ride over on this short loop in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Alligator Hill Trail is popular among cross-country skiers, but before the snow falls it makes for a quick hike with a satisfying vista. The total trail mileage is 8.
3 mile, with three loops ranging from three to four miles. This is the only trail system in the park where horseback riding is allowed as well. The Easy Loop will take you to the two island lookout, plus an offshoot that carries onto the Big Glen Lookout for another lake view.
That total trip is 4.3 miles. The Easy Loop is lined with beech and maple trees.
The gravel trail is moderate with a slow incline to the sandy stretch towards the lookout. Standing at the lookout you’ll see beyond the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, out to Lake Michigan where the North and South Manitou Islands sit. Perfectly positioned on the dune perch is a bench ideal for a moment of solitude.
If you peel off to go see the Big Glen Lookout you can jump on the intermediate or advanced trail loops. The advanced trail moves along Little Glen Lake. Alligator Hill gets its name from its snout-like silhouette.
You can see this long ridge and bluff from the dune climb in the west. Formed by glaciers, the hill was carved out when two lobes of ice gouged out Big Glen Lake and Little Glen Lake and left loads of sand and rock between them, according to Sleeping Bear Dunes. MORE SLEEPING BEAR DUNES TRAILS: .
