An ecological gem that serves at the “Gateway to Empire.” Years ago when a beloved parcel on the outskirts of Empire went up for sale, the community and the Leelanau Conservancy rallied to preserve this scenic buffer which protects the village’s small town character. The land takes in four separate ecosystems and features a much-loved beaver pond and stream where brook trout spawn and blue flag iris and cardinal flower grow in abundance. Chippewa Run is a birding paradise where dozens of species visit or live, including green herons which nest in the pine grove that was planted in 1953.
