Alligator Hill Trail - Forest Haven Trailhead

Hiking Alligator Hill

An often overlooked gem, Alligator Hill is nine miles of hiking trails looping through a hilly, leafy, alligator-shaped ridge with beautiful views of both Lake Michigan and Big Glen Lake. The three interconnected loops allow you to choose the hiking experience you want ranging from a shorter, easier hike leading to great views to a solid workout up and down the rolling hills and through the forest. They are also the only trails in the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore where horseback riding is allowed, bicycles must remain on the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.

Pets are NOT allowed on this trail from December 1 to March 31. Alligator Hill is a designated cross-country ski trail during the periods of December 1 through March 31.

Distance from Trailhead
Entering from the Forest Haven Drive trailhead will begin the Intermediate Loop. 
Easy and advanced ski loop distances include the hike back to the Forest Haven Drive trailhead. 

Easy hike and ski loop: 4.9 mi, 6.4 with spur to Big Glen Lookout 

Moderate hike, intermediate ski loop: 2.7 mi, 4.3 mi with spur to Big Glen Lookout

Moderate hike, advanced ski loop: 6 mi, 7.5 mi with spur to Big Glen Lookout

Terrain
The 1.5-mile hike from the Forest Haven trailhead to the Islands Lookout on top of Alligator Hill is a relatively strenuous walk through maple-beech forest. The view from the lookout is spectacular. On a clear day, you can see North and South Manitou Island and Sleeping Bear Point. Quite often South Fox Island will also be visible and perhaps even a freighter making its way through the Manitou Passage. There is a bench at the lookout for you to sit, relax, and enjoy. Continue on to the Big Glen Lookout for a view overlooking miles of vibrant trees to Big Glen Lake.

Comments 
The best cross-country skiing in the Lakeshore, Alligator Hill's trail system offers skiers three loops rated easy, intermediate, and advanced and feature plenty of long downhill runs and equally long climbs.

Hike Safely

Are you prepared to hike in the Lakeshore? Follow these safety tips

The Forest Haven trailhead parking lot is also the Alligator Hill trailhead of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.

Biking Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail

A delight to ride, the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is one of Michigan's most beautiful biking trails. A 10-foot-wide picturesque path that winds idyllically through the pristine, tranquil forests and undulating hills of the Lakeshore, the multi-use trail connects major attractions in Sleeping Bear Dunes and is suitable for recreational use by cyclists, wheelchair users, runners pushing baby strollers, and rollerbladers.

The Alligator Hill Trailhead is a parking lot, currently without vault toilets. 

Pets are NOT allowed on this trail from December 1 to March 31. Winter skiing
In winter, the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes grooms segments of the trail for both classic Nordic skiers and skaters as well as providing a lane for snowshoeing.

While most of the terrain is fairly easy, all ages can enjoy the trail. There are a couple of steeper segments, but these climbs are almost immediately rewarded by swift descents, and benches and picnic tables along the trail offer a place to rest and take in the sounds and sights of the cool forest or bask in the warm beach sun.

The SBHT is managed and maintained by Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes and an excellent map of the trail which can show trailheads, parking, water, steep climbs, etc. 

Trail Etiquette

• Show consideration for other trail users
• Stay on trail to be respectful of plants and wildlife
• Stop at road crossings
• Ride single file when other users are present
• Ride slow and steady
• Wear a helmet while skating or riding
• Stay to right and alert others by saying "on your left" when passing
• Do not block trail - please move to the side when stopped on trail
• Keep pets on a leash
• Dispose of all trash and animal waste in trash receptacles
• Trail users need a park pass
• Some of the SBHT passes through or in front of private property. Be careful and respectful of the rights of these property owners

Why is it called Alligator Hill?

The hill picks up its name from a long ridge and bluff at its southeast corner that resembles the silhouette of an alligator's snout, best seen from the top of the Dune Climb. Alligator Hill is the result of glacial activity when two lobes of ice that gouged out Big Glen Lake and Little Glen Lake dumped their load of sand and rock between them. An ancient Lake Michigan, that was much higher than today's Great Lake, went on to erode bluffs and cut terraces and notches on the flank of the hill, including the alligator's snout.
The trails that wind up and down Alligator Hill are wide, well-marked paths that are used by Nordic skiers, day hikers and equestrians. Mountain bikes are not allowed on the trails.

Golf on Alligator Hill?

The Alligator Hill trail system sits on what was once Day Forest Estates. Area pioneer D. H. Day owned all of this land and planned to subdivide much of the area into a real estate development, complete with its own golf club But Day's death and the Great Depression foiled those plans and the development never happened. The golf club closed in 1942, but you can still see the outlines of fairways today from aerial and satellite photos. The development's roads, driveways, and fairways now form the backbone of the Alligator Hill trail system.

Take the Trail Trekker Challenge

Do you think you can hike all of the trails in one year? Want to explore the landscape of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, exercise, and have fun all at the same time? Join the Trail Trekker Challenge! Earn a prize and bragging rights by successfully completing each of the 13 mainland trails in the National Lakeshore. Hiking is a great way to get daily physical exercise and promote health while also discovering the beauty of the area. What better way to get your muscles warm, your heart pumping, and your senses savoring the views!
Pick up a copy of the Trail Trekker Challenge brochure/logbook at the visitor center in Empire.