Tag: national-parks

Cowles Bog Trail

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Trail #14 of the Indiana Dunes National Park 1966 Hiking Challenge is the Cowles Bog Trail in Dune Acres, Indiana. The trail is named in honor of Henry Chandler Cowles (1869-1939), a botanist from the University of Chicago, who helped define the field of ecology with his research of the Indiana Dunes. Cowles’ published works […]

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Marquette Trail

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Trail #11 of the Indiana Dunes National Park 1966 Hiking Challenge is the Marquette Trail in Gary, Indiana. This rail to trail is part of the former Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad that used to run through Miller Woods and was named after Father Jacques Marquette, the French Jesuit missionary, who explored the Great Lakes region in […]

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Dunes-Kankakee Trail

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Trail #10 marks the halfway point for us with the Indiana Dunes National Park 1966 Hiking Challenge on the Dunes-Kankakee Trail! We were excited to be able to join the group hike for this one since we were late bloomers to the challenge that has been ongoing weekly since May. The Dunes-Kankakee Trail is a […]

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Portage Lakefront Trail

.Reading time 5 minutes.

Trail #9 of the Indiana Dunes National Park 1966 Hiking Challenge is the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Trail. Formally an industrial site for U.S. Steel, the landscape was reclaimed for public park access and wetland restoration in 2008. This trail has great views of the lake and is a prime location to see dramatic clouds […]

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Harbor Belt Trail

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Trail #8 of the Indiana Dunes National Park 1966 Hiking Challenge is the Harbor Belt Trail in Gary, Indiana. We returned to Miller Woods after hiking here earlier this week to complete the Harbor Belt section of the park. Cutting East to West through Miller Woods is this abandoned railroad bed that was built when […]

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Tolleston Dunes Trail

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Trail #7 of the Indiana Dunes National Park 1966 Hiking Challenge is the Tolleston Dunes Trail in Ogden Dunes, Indiana. Before this location was created a park, it was the site of former sand mining. The Tolleston Dunes are known for the rare black oak savanna and plants such as the prickly pear cactus, butterfly weed, […]

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