Indiana Dunes State Park
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Indiana Dunes State Park is an Indiana State Park located in
Porter County, Indiana Porter County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 173,215, making it the 10th most populous county in Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso. The county is part of Northwest Indiana, as well as the Chicago m ...
, United States, east of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. The park is bounded by
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
to the northwest and is surrounded by as well as within the authorized boundaries of
Indiana Dunes National Park Indiana Dunes National Park is a United States national park located in northwestern Indiana managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966 as the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and was redesignated as the nation ...
, a unit of the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
; the NPS owns the water from the ordinary high water mark to offshore. The Dunes Nature Preserve makes up the bulk of eastern part of the park, and includes most of the park's
hiking trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...
and
dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
landscape. This was one of the first places
Richard Lieber Richard Lieber (September 5, 1869 – April 15, 1944) was a German-American businessman who became the father of the Indiana state parks system. At his death, he could be considered the most powerful spokesman in the United States for the con ...
considered when establishing the Indiana State Park system. Like all Indiana state parks, there is a fee for entrance. Indiana Dunes State Park was established in 1925 and designated a
National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
in 1974.National Park Service: National Natural Landmark Program (Indiana)
Retrieved December 4, 2014
Preserving the Indiana Dunes has resulted from the efforts of many citizens and politicians. In 2018–2019, Indiana Dunes was the most-visited state park, with more than 1.3 million visitors.


Geology

The beaches were formed by winds coming off Lake Michigan, which drop sand when the wind hits plants, dunes, and hills. As the lake level of Lake Michigan dropped at the end of the
Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...
, the shoreline receded, and new dunes were formed along the lakeshore. Vegetation took over the previous dunes, and eventually forests grew on top of them. There are "blowouts" along the dunes, where dead stumps were revealed after the wind blew away the sand from on top of them; the most notable such blowout is Big Blowout.


History

Native Americans used the area for years, primarily the
Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
and
Miami people The Miami (Miami-Illinois: ''Myaamiaki'') are a Native American nation originally speaking one of the Algonquian languages. Among the peoples known as the Great Lakes tribes, they occupied territory that is now identified as North-central India ...
. The Dunes were along trade routes used by Native Americans. In the early 19th century, the state park area was home to the settlements of Petit Fort and
City West City West (formerly known as ''Neuer Westen'' ("New West") or ''Zooviertel'' ("Zoo Quarter")) is an area in the western part of central Berlin. It is one of Berlin's main commercial areas, and was the commercial centre of former West Berlin when ...
.


Notable attractions

*
Sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...
*
Singing sand Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
*
Smelt Smelt may refer to: * Smelting, chemical process * The common name of various fish: ** Smelt (fish), a family of small fish, Osmeridae ** Australian smelt in the family Retropinnidae and species ''Retropinna semoni'' ** Big-scale sand smelt ''At ...
fishing * Haunted shores (
Diana of the Dunes Diana of the Dunes was the nickname given to Alice Mabel Gray (1881–1925), an American intellectual and counterculture figure, whose life inspired a local legend in Chesterton, Indiana. Gray lived in primitive conditions among the sand dunes of no ...
) *
Birding Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
*
Hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...


Facilities and activities

*
Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
and sunbathing: A small portion of the shoreline is set aside as a public swimming beach and is protected by lifeguards between Memorial and Labor Day weekends. It is a clean, all sand beach. The remainder of the beach (approximately ) is open for sunbathing, beach combing, and other similar activities. Dogs are permitted on the non-swimming portion of the beach, so long as they are kept on a short leash and any feces is promptly and safely removed from the shores. * Beach house with concessions during summer season.Indiana Dunes State Park, Department of Natural Resources, Chesterton, Indiana. * Observation platform near the top of Mt. Tom. Looking west, Chicago can be seen above the forested sand dunes.
Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the ...
, is also visible. *
Birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...
: (A bird
observation tower An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, an ...
is located along Trail 10 overlooking a marsh community.) * The Nature Center is a year-round facility that has a wildlife observation window, library, and a large auditorium. An interpretive naturalist provides public hikes and programs. *
Picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...
Shelters *
Hiking trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...
extend for 16 miles (26 km), some of which pass not only the sand dunes, but also historic structures and wet prairie. * Guided
hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
tours *
Cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
is not permitted everywhere within the park, but the
Calumet Trail The Calumet Trail is an east-west bicycle and multiuse recreational trail in the Calumet region of northwestern Indiana, United States. It runs roughly parallel to U.S. Route 12 and the right-of-way of the South Shore line, along the NIPSCO easeme ...
runs through the park and provides cycling opportunities in the park as well as access to
Indiana Dunes National Park Indiana Dunes National Park is a United States national park located in northwestern Indiana managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966 as the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and was redesignated as the nation ...
and some neighboring communities. * Interpretive Naturalist Service *
Arts and crafts A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...
* The campground was totally rebuilt in 2004. It has 140 campsites laid out on sand with new, level, asphalt pads, 50-amp electrical hook-ups, and picnic tables. Drinking water hydrants are located throughout the campground. The roads were newly laid out and paved in 2004, and are arranged in several connecting loops. Most of the trees were spared during the rebuilding so that many sites have full or partial shade. There are two large newly built shower house/restroom structures. There is a short, level forest path to the swimming beach.


Dunes Nature Preserve

The Nature Preserve covers the eastern 2/3 of the state park, . It is accessible only on foot. All eight of the park's trails enter the nature preserve, offering easy to rugged experiences amongst the dunes. The highlights of the preserve include: * The Tremonts: Mt. Tom, above lake level; Mt. Holden, above lake level; and Mt. Jackson above lake level. * Beach House Blowout and Furnessville Blowout. * The Marsh with a bird observation tower. * Trails ** Trail 8 goes up and over all three of the high dunes. It is long from the Wilson Shelter, over the high dunes, ending on the beach at the Pavilion and Beach House. ** Trail 10 is the longest at , but among the easier, listed as a moderate trail. It begins at the Pavilion and Bathhouse, traveling east along the open beach. About down the beach, is the Beach House Blowout. An additional further is the Furnessville Blowout. At about half way is the eastern boundary of the park, at which point the trail enters the dunes through an area called Paradise Valley. From there, the trail parallels a branch of the
Dunes Creek Dunes Creek is a northwards-flowing U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed March 15, 2011 stream which drains the Great Marsh of Indiana Dunes State Park and Indiana Dunes Nati ...
, passing through the Pinery and along the marsh. The Bird Observation Tower is accessible from this trail. About from the Observation Tower, the trail ends at the Nature Center. Designated a
National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...
in 1974, the preserve also contains the Ancient Pines Nature Area, a prehistoric forest now exposed by dune blowouts.


Blowouts

Blowouts are formed by the on-shore winds of
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
. The winds move sand and pile it into dunes. As the dunes form, plants begin to take hold, stabilizing the sand. Beach grasses form a large underground system of roots. This root system, creates stable areas of sand, from which the dune can grow. Slowly other plants take root in the protected areas, including bearberry (kinnikinnick) and small evergreens. Over time, larger plants like sumac, sand cherry, cottonwood, and juniper take hold and replace the grasses and smaller plants. When a nick forms in this armor of roots and plants, the area can become a blowout. First, open sand becomes accessible to the wind. This can be by animal trails or by human footpaths. A tree could fall in a strong wind, exposing the underlying sand. When this happens, the wind once again works on the loose sand. It undercuts the other roots, and begins moving sand southward. If the winds are strong enough or given enough time, a large blowout can occur, reducing the dunes to lake level over a large area. The 3 largest blowouts in the park are Beach House, Furnessville, and Big Blowout. Each extends into the interdunes, between the front rides of dunes and pockets, into the interdunal troughs. Big Blowout has uncovered an area of dead tree trunks known as the Tree Graveyard.Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Dunes Nature Preserve
/ref> The park also has a Youth Tent Area separate from the public campground.


See also

*
List of Indiana state parks The U.S. state of Indiana has 24 state parks maintained and operated by Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In addition, a separate state agency operates White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis. Marion and Clark are the only cou ...
*
Save the Dunes Save the Dunes Conservation Fund, originally known as Save the Dunes Council, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Northwest Indiana whose mission is to preserve, protect and restore the Indiana dunes and all natural resources in Northwest India ...


References


External links


Indiana Dunes State Park DNR Site

Dunes Nature Preserve Indiana DNR Site

The Prairie ClubFriends of the Indiana Dunes

Dunes Learning Center
{{authority control Protected areas established in 1925 State parks of Indiana National Natural Landmarks in Indiana Protected areas of Porter County, Indiana Dunes of the United States Indiana Dunes National Park Northwest Indiana Nature centers in Indiana Landforms of Porter County, Indiana