Indiana Dunes State Park - Dunes Nature Preserve

Dunes Nature Preserve

The Nature Preserve covers the eastern 2/3 of the State Park, 1,530 acres (620 ha). 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,192 feet (59 m) above lake level; Mt. Holden, 184 feet (56 m) above lake level; and Mt. Jackson 176 feet (54 m) above lake level.
  • Beach House Blowout and Furnessville Blowout.
  • the Marsh with Bird Observation Tower.
  • Trails
    • Trail 8 takes you up and over all three of the high dunes. It's only 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long from the Wilson Shelter, over the high dunes, ending on the beach at the Pavilion and Beach House.
    • Trail 10 is the longest 5.5 miles (8.9 km), but among the easier, listed as Moderate trails. It begins at the Pavilion and Bathhouse, traveling east along the open beach. About 1.25 miles (2.01 km) down the beach, you come to the Beach House Blowout. An additional 0.5 miles (0.80 km) and you reach the Furnessville Blowout. About half way, you come to the eastern boundary of the park and swing up into the dunes through an area called Paradise Valley. From there, the trail parallels a branch of the Dunes Creek, passing through the Pinery and along the marsh. The Bird Observation Tower is accessible from this trail. About 0.75 miles (1.21 km) from the Observation Tower, the trail ends at the Nature Center.
See also: Birds of the Indiana Dunes, Mammals of the Indiana Dunes, and Habitats of the Indiana Dunes

Read more about this topic:  Indiana Dunes State Park

Famous quotes containing the words nature and/or preserve:

    “Yet I experienced sometimes that the most sweet and tender, the most innocent and encouraging society may be found in any natural object, even for the poor misanthrope and most melancholy man. There can be no very black melancholy to him who lives in the midst of nature and has his senses still.”
    —Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    “The great difficulty is first to win a reputation; the next to keep it while you live; and the next to preserve it after you die, when affection and interest are over, and nothing but sterling excellence can preserve your name. Never suffer youth to be an excuse for inadequacy, nor age and fame to be an excuse for indolence.”
    —Benjamin Haydon (1786–1846)