Trail #4 of the Indiana Dunes National Park 1966 Hiking Challenge is the Paul H. Douglas Trail at Miller Woods in Gary, Indiana. Where eastern hardwood forests meet western tall grass prairies, there is a unique and endangered ecosystem- the black oak savanna. According to the National Park Service, less than 0.02% of oak savanna grassland habitat remains in the Midwest. The rest of these oaks have been cleared, developed, or neglected, leading to prairie plants disappearing when the habitat is fire suppressed by overgrown trees and shrubs. The Indiana Dunes National Park savannas are actively managed with prescribed burns to restore these habitats.

The Paul H. Douglas Trail begins at the environmental center’s parking lot and leads into the grassy prairie with a boardwalk over the marsh. We kept finding unique wildflowers everywhere we looked as we made our way along the loop. The plant life felt very unique from the other trails that we have hiked recently. Butterflies scattered as we brushed through the narrow trail and the birds sang for their visitors.

It began as a simple hike that we were loving every minute of until we realized that we had circled back to where we first started at the beginning of the boardwalk. Referring back to the trail map and also to Google Maps, we could tell that there was a turn for the beach trail that we had missed somewhere along the way. On our second go of the beginning loop, we took a right turn at the first sand dune where an old sign used to be to continue the trail. You could still go straight if you’d like, but then you would miss the hike to the beach. With the extra loop, we ended up hiking 4 miles instead of the 3.4 mile hike listed for the 1966 Hiking Challenge.

From there, we kept following straight ahead to the beach! We took lots of photos along the way of different wildflowers and recorded bird songs with the Merlin app. A few wildlife sightings were bullfrogs, deer, Northern flickers, and many butterflies. This part of the hike gets very sandy and was a little challenging to trek up and down the dunes. As we got closer, the trail narrowed to follow the edge of the water. Signs reminded visitors to stay on the path and protect the fragile habitat.

The last stretch was very narrow and some of the reeds lining the path were taller than both of us! This is where we saw a Great Egret fly away. Soon, we had made it to the end of the trail on an empty beach at Lake Michigan! We dipped our fingers into the cool water before returning to the dunes.

As we took one last look at the open water, the clouds rolled in and the muggy air was met with a brief downpour. This isn’t the first time that we’ve hiked through the rain and it won’t be the last!

Observations:

Birds– Northern Flicker, Great Egret, Field Sparrow, Gray Catbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Towhee, Indigo Bunting, American Robin, and the Canadian Goose

There were SO MANY flowers, birds, butterflies, and wildlife on this trail. I almost stepped on the baby snapping turtle on the hike back from the beach in the rain! It looked like a rock until I brushed off the sand from his back. We moved it to the side of the trail so he could find his way back to the water. We identified the snapping turtle from his pointy nose and long tail.

A couple of insights with the plant research that I found interesting are that the majority of these species are native plants and the Prickly Pear Cactus is Indiana’s only cactus. Other tidbits are that the Marsh woundwort is a traditional medicinal, edible, and dye-making herb. The New Jersey Tea shrub is also an excellent source of caffeine-free tea that was very popular during the Revolutionary War as a substitute to imported British tea.

Location: Paul Douglas Center Parking Lot – 100 North Lake Street, Gary, IN 46403

Trail Length: 3.4 miles (We did 4 miles total with the extra loop)
Difficulty level: Moderate to Strenuous

Highlights:

• Birding!
• Hiking the oak savanna habitat
• Wildflowers galore
• Plentiful wildlife
• Lake Michigan- up close and personal
• Sand dunes

Tips/Suggestions:

• Check the weather and wear layers – we got warm and we got drenched
• Wear good hiking shoes- they will get sandy
• Bring your binoculars and camera!
• Hydrate and prepare for a hike. It doesn’t seem too difficult in the beginning but there are a lot of sandy hills to conquer!
• Come back during open hours to visit the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education
• Parking: there is a small lot at the environmental center with additional parking across the street

The Paul H. Douglas Trail has been completed on the 1966 Hiking Challenge!