Come hike with us! We’ll celebrate the coming of spring with a beautiful hike at Indiana Dunes National Park Dune Ridge & Beverly Shores Trails.

We’ll meet at the Kemil Beach parking lot (park passes are required) at 9:45 for a 10am departure.

We’ll start by hiking the short, but quite steep Dune Ridge Trail, for a good warm-up, and sweeping views of the great marsh. Though only 0.7 miles in length, this trail will take us through several diverse habitats unique to the duneland area.

From the eastern edge of this trail, we will join the Beverly Shores Trail System. These trails meander over what were once small access roads and driveways leading to homes that used to stand there, before the land was acquired by the NPS. We’ll climb up the ridge overlooking Lake Michigan, and drop back down to join the closed-off portion of Beverly drive for a walk through the middle of the great marsh.

Highlights:

Amazing views, possiblity of spring flowers, phenomenal bird viewing (it’s sandhill crane migration and nesting season), natural beauty and serenity.

Details:

• Time: Sunday, March 24th meet at 9:45am at Kemil Beach parking lot for 10am departure. We will finish by approximately 1pm

• Hiking distance approximately 3 miles

• Modern restrooms are available at the parking lot

What to bring:

• Footwear suitable for hiking in all terrains

• Hat/sunglasses

• Water

• Light snack/energy bar

• Camera/binoculars

• Park pass is required per vehicle. 7-day pass is $25, while an annual pass is $45 (and well worth it!) You can purchase the pass here.

Weather:

• We’ll hike in any weather, except steady downpour, sleet or blizzard (unlikely, but possible). Notification, if necessary, will be sent by 6pm Saturday. March 23.

• Rain date: Sunday, April 7.

Registration is REQUIRED for this event: REGISTRATION CLOSED