Location: The trailhead is on Basch Rd. Drive to Port Oneida Rd about 3 miles north of Glen Arbor on M-22. Take Port Oneida Road north about a mile where the road turns right and becomes Basch Road. Follow this to the trailhead. Basch Road is not plowed in the winter.
Parking Lot: Gravel
Restroom: A vault toilet is near the parking lot, but the slope to reach it is 12%. There is also a small curb barrier at the door to the vault toilet.
Water: No drinking water is available at the trailhead.
Trail Length: 1.2 miles round trip from the trailhead to the overlook. The whole loop trail is 2.7 miles and the last part of the loop is on Basch Rd.
Terrain: You will be climbing a steep hill through Beech-Maple forest to the bluff that overlooks Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands. The loop goes down from the hill into a deep valley and back up to Basch Rd.
Trail Tread: From the parking lot, the trail is about 6 feet wide and made of packed crushed stone. This part of the trail is accessible with relatively minor grades for about 0.25 miles. Then the trail grade increases and water bars create steps of at least 6-inches high. The trail comes to an intersection about 0.4 miles from the trailhead. Turning to the right, the trail becomes packed earth and somewhat narrower rustic trail. As the trail gets into the meadow area, it becomes quite narrow as grasses and weeds grow in from the edge of the trail.
Difficulty: The first 0.25 miles of trail is accessible, packed stone about 6 feet wide. After that point, the grade increases and you will encounter water bars to prevent erosion. The loop part of the trail is relatively easy, but the trail is narrow and when you get near the end at Basch Road, it becomes steep again.
Click on the link to see a detailed description of the trail. This report describes trail obstacles and trail surface. Cell phone coverage may be limited in the Park, so download and save. Pyramid Point Trail detail
Comments: For your safety and to prevent erosion, DO NOT descend the bluff to Lake Michigan. The high water level of Lake Michigan has caused significant erosion resulting in 20 to 100 foot vertical drops into the lake. The bottom of the bluff is clay, which is very hard and is slippery when wet. If you run down the bluff, you may not be able to stop before you fall into the water! This will result in serious injury.
Many rescues have been done at this place – we don’t want you to be the next one!
