The trail is marked by a vehicle gate at the corner of Norconk Road across from the Tweddle Farm. An old road, now appearing more like a very wide foot trail, heads west into the maple-beech forest that in the spring is carpeted by wildflowers, including trillium, and in the fall painted in autumn shades of red, orange and gold.

At Mile 0.6 you break out of the trees and pass Treat’s barn that was restored by the park in 2004 while off to the right is the farmhouse. Other buildings include sheds, a cistern behind the house and a very unusual concrete dome garage and root cellar.

From the barn, the trail continues southwest to Old Baldy, a 1,049-foot high dune. You reach the base of the dune where a sandy trail ascends its backside. This spur towards the top is a very steep and sandy climb of 100 feet. It’s easier to access the top of old Baldy from its west side. Treat Farm Trail continues to skirt around the dune and at Mile 1.1 reaches a viewing point on a well-shaded bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. A perfect spot for lunch.

From here a social trail heads north along the edge of the bluff, quickly passing others that climb the ridge of Old Baldy to the east. Nothing is marked and the sandy footpaths can change from one year to next. The front of Old Baldy is a mix of open sand and dune grass. Its high point looms almost 500 feet above Lake Michigan. The view from the ridge leading to it is stunning and includes Platte Bay, Platte River Point, the Manitou Islands and a whole lot of water.

To continue to the observation deck you carefully follow social trails along the edge of the perched dune known as Empire Bluff. The trek is roughly 1.5 miles but the exact route changes during periods of high Great Lakes levels which causes the steep dune to sheer off slaps of sand to the beach below. There is a bit of climbing involved with the longest being an ascent of more than 250 feet, reached within a mile. There will also be sections where you find yourself tiptoeing along a narrow edge with the lake 400 feet or more below you.

At roughly Mile 2.5 you arrive at the large viewing deck at the end of the Empire Bluff Trail, a great spot to rest and catch your breath. From here this popular path heads east 0.75 miles to a trailhead off of Wilco Road.