Shauger Hill Trail

Sunlight in a clearing along the Shauger Hill Trail.

NPS credit

Quick Facts

Amenities

2 listed

Toilet - Vault/Composting, Trailhead

Looking to stretch your legs after taking in the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive? Check out the Shauger Hill Trail. It starts at the Scenic Drive's adjacent parking lot (just after turning off M109 and before the ranger booth) and loops through hilly, quiet woods. Shauger Hill doesn't access water or overlooks of Lake Michigan, but it's a shady escape on a hot summer day, and is especially beautiful in the fall.

Pets are NOT allowed on the trail from December 1 to March 31.

The trail, an easy loop taken in an overall clockwise direction without difficult uphill sections, is about 2.4 miles and crosses the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (paved) twice and also Shauger Hill Road (unpaved) twice.

A 1.5 mile hike along the unpaved Shauger Hill Road will lead you to a swim at North Bar Lake and Lake Michigan.

The Shauger Hill trail winds through mature beech-maple hardwood forests with birches fluttering gracefully in the occasional clearing. In the clockwise direction, about .3 miles from the trailhead is a beautiful large stand of mature beech. Among the maples are a number of striped maples as well as the more commonly seen red and sugar maples.

Shauger Hill's wildflowers are best in the spring before the forest canopy leafs over; look for the many black raspberry bushes lining the beginning of the trail. Pick a handful to enjoy along the way.

Skiing Shauger Hill
Skiers are advised to take the trail in reverse, starting from the ski trail sign at the parking lot. The downhill sections in the clockwise direction are advanced and steep and some have cut logs from trail clearings just off-trail around the bases of some of the hills.

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.

Hike safely

Before you take off down the trail, take time to prepare for a successful hike. Make sure the trail is appropriate for your ability, and travel with a companion and notify someone of your route and expected return time.
Take plenty of drinking water, bring sunscreen, wear a hat, and be prepared for mosquitoes.

Be careful of your footing-trails have uneven ground, exposed roots, etc.
Sand slide danger is always present on steep dunes. Stay off steep bluffs to avoid falls and dislodging rocks that can injure people below. Because of heavy treefall, avoid forested trails on windy days.
Remember, deer rifle season is November 15-30. Other hunting seasons occur throughout the year. Wear bright-colored clothing to be seen and safe in the woods.

And please stay on designated trails and help prevent erosion and damage to vegetation. Off-trail hikers can quickly produce paths that take years to revegetate. Threatened and endangered species occur in the park, avoid disturbing plants and animals.

Poison Ivy: leaves of three, leave it be!
Poison ivy grows plentifully in many areas of the Lakeshore as a vine or low shrub. The leaves are red in early spring, shiny green in summer, and an attractive red or orange in the fall. Each leaf consists of three leaflets. Most people are sensitive in varying degrees to the sap of this plant, which makes the skin itch, blister, and swell.
Avoid contact with all parts of the plant. Avoid plants with three leaflets.
If exposed, wash the affected skin with soap and water as soon as possible.

Don't get ticked!: protect yourself from tick bites
Avoid ticks by walking in the center of trails and avoiding contact with vegetation.
Use a repellent (on skin or clothing) and wear close-toed shoes, long sleeves, long pants, and socks. Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to easily spot ticks.
Check your clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks. Avoid sitting directly on the ground, fallen logs, or stone walls.

After being outdoors
Check your body for ticks after being outdoors, and remove any ticks you find.
Check your clothing for ticks. Place clothes into a dryer on high heat for at least an hour.
Shower soon after being outdoors; it may reduce your risk of being bitten.
Check these parts of your body and your child's body for ticks:
Under the arm, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, back of the knees, in and around hair, between the legs, around the waist.

If you are bitten by a tick
Remove an attached tick as soon as you notice it. Using fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, and then slowly, but firmly, pull it straight out. Immediately wash the bite area and your hands with soap and water, then apply an antiseptic to the bite wound.
Watch for signs of illness.