Empire Township in Leelanau County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Village of Empire

Trail Head of the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail

— Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail —

Village of Empire Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 11, 2024

1. Village of Empire Marker

Inscription.
Empire is the Trail Head of the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail.

This 234 mile shore to shore trail from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron was dedicated by Governor George Romney in May of 1964. It represents the combined efforts of the Michigan Trail Riders Association, interested organizations and communities working together with private land owners, the U.S. Forest Services and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

This Sign is dedicated to the people of Empire with great appreciation from the Michigan Trail Riders Association.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1964.

Location. 44° 48.711′ N, 86° 4.079′ W. Marker is in Empire, Michigan, in Leelanau County. It is in Empire Township. It is at the intersection of Niagara Street and Lake Michigan Drive, in the median on Niagara Street. It is at Lake Michigan Beach Park at the end of Niagara Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10484 Niagara St, Empire MI 49630, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker

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is in Northern Michigan Lower Peninsula,

in the Grand Traverse Bay Region,

and in one of the Lake Michigan Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Remembering Empire, Circa 1900 (here, next to this marker); Empire Lumber Company (a few steps from this marker); Empire Methodist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Legend of the Manitou Islands and the Sleeping Bear (approx. 3.2 miles away); Mother Bear Is Migrating (approx. 3.2 miles away); Of Wrecks and Water Trails (approx. 3.2 miles away); Glen Lake Was Once a Bay (approx. 4 miles away); D.H. Day's Million-Dollar Plan (approx. 4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Empire.

Also see . . . Wikipedia entry for the Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail.

The Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail (also known as the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail) is
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 11, 2024

2. Village of Empire Marker
This sign is the one at the lower left.
a 220-mile-long trail that runs between Empire on Lake Michigan and Oscoda on Lake Huron across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is open to horseback riders and hikers but not bicycles.

The trail's western end is located within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The trail, going from west to east, travels through the Boardman River valley and follows the Au Sable River for about 50 miles. The trail was developed by trail riders in 1962 and travels through mixed hardwood and conifer forests. Public campgrounds are located throughout the route.

(Submitted on September 21, 2024.)

Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 11, 2024

3. Village of Empire Marker

Michigan Shore To Shore Trail Map image. Click for full size.

By Bamyers99 (CC0 1.0) via Wikimedia Commons

4. Michigan Shore To Shore Trail Map

Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 21, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 189 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 21, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.