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THE PARK
The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
is a park of striking contrasts. More than 1,400 plant species
have been identified within park boundaries, ranking it 7th among
national parks in native plant diversity. Growing zones clash
here at the southern base of Lake Michigan so southern dogwood
mixes with arctic bearberrry and northern conifer forests thrive
alongside cacti. The park itself stands in stark relief from
the industrial surroundings of Gary, Indiana and Chicago. The
national lakeshore was designated in 1966 and preserves 25 miles
of Lake Michigan shoreline.
WALKS
Canine hikers will also find
the dog-friendly trails, with dips and climbs, to be of a different
style than the generally flat northern Indiana area. The high
point on the dunes is 123-foot Mt. Baldy at the extreme eastern
point of the park - you can make this short, sandy climb your
first or last stop. If you take your time, even older dogs can
make it to the top or you can hike a trail around Mt. Baldy directly
to the beach.
Other trails highlight the natural and cultural signifigance
of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. You won't even realize
you are mere yards from Lake Michigan on the Cowles Bog Trail,
three stacked loops totalling 5 miles. The trail goes past the
sub-arctic bog, declared a National Natural Landmark.
The similarly inland Little Calumet River Trail leads
to the Bailly Homestead, a National Historic Landmark from the
pre-Colonial fur trading era and the Chellberg Farm settled by
Swedish immigrants.
BONUS
The Indiana Dunes are considered
the birthplace of the science of ecology. University of Chicago
professor Dr. Henry Cowles used the dunes to develop his theories
of plant succession, the process of botanical colonization and
development. The one-mile West Beach Succession Trail illuminates
the natural processes that over thousands of years have created
oak forests on once barren sand.
DIRECTIONS
Visitors can access the national lakeshore via Interstate Highway
I-94, the Indiana Toll Road, I-80/90 U.S. 20, or Indiana State
Hwy 12 and various state roads.
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