| Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a U.S. | | | | the area from threats such as the nearby Gary |
| national lakeshore located in northwest | | | | steel mills led by groups such as the Prairie |
| Indiana. The national lakeshore runs for | | | | Club of Chicago, the area continued to be |
| nearly 25 miles (40 km) along the southern | | | | exploited. The tallest dune in Indiana, the |
| shore of Lake Michigan, from Michigan City, | | | | 200 foot (60 m) high Hoosier Slide, was |
| Indiana on the east to Gary, Indiana on the | | | | hauled away and turned into glass by |
| west. The park contains approximately 15,000 | | | | Pittsburgh Plate Glass and canning jars by |
| acres (61 km²). A part of this area, 2,182 | | | | Ball Brothers. |
| acres (9 km²) is located in Indiana Dunes | | | | |
| State Park and managed by the Indiana | | | | In 1926, part of the area became the Indiana |
| Department of Natural Resources. Indiana | | | | Dunes State Park. Lobbying continued to |
| Dunes National Lakeshore was authorized by | | | | expand the area and in 1963, the Kennedy |
| Congress in 1966. | | | | Compromise linked the construction of the |
| | | | Port of Indiana to the development of a |
| Lakeshore activities | | | | National Lakeshore. The Lakeshore was created |
| | | | in 1966 and expanded in 1976, 1980, 1986 and |
| The park contains 15 miles (24 km) of | | | | 1992. |
| beaches, as well as sand dunes, bogs, | | | | |
| marshes, swamps, fens, prairies, rivers, oak | | | | Lakeshore landmarks |
| savannas, and woodland forests. The park is | | | | |
| also noted for its singing sands. More than | | | | Cowles Bog |
| 350 species of birds have been observed in | | | | |
| the park. It has one of the most diverse | | | | Cowles Bog, a National Natural Landmark, is a |
| plant communities of any unit in the U.S. | | | | fen wetland named in honor of biologist and |
| National Park System with 1418 vascular plant | | | | ecologist Henry Cowles. Located south and |
| species including 90 threatened or endangered | | | | west of Dune Acres, Indiana, Cowles Bog is |
| ones. The Indiana Dunes area is unique in | | | | the sole remaining remnant of the Central |
| that it contains both arctic and boreal | | | | Dunes where Cowles performed his pioneering |
| plants (such as the bearberry) alongside | | | | field studies of plant succession and species |
| desert plants (such as the prickly pear | | | | diversity. A National Lakeshore trail runs |
| cactus). | | | | from Mineral Springs Road into Cowles Bog. |
| | | | |
| First-time visitors to the Lakeshore often go | | | | Hoosier Prairie |
| to the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center | | | | |
| at U.S. Highway 20 and Indiana Route 49, near | | | | Hoosier Prairie, a National Natural Landmark, |
| Porter, Indiana. This brand-new center (2007) | | | | is a 430-acre (1.7 km²) tallgrass prairie |
| offers standard visitor-center amenities, | | | | adjacent to Griffith, Indiana. It is a |
| including a video, brochures, hands-on | | | | geographically isolated unit of the |
| exhibits, and a gift shop. It is free to the | | | | Lakeshore, owned and maintained by the |
| general public. | | | | Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a |
| | | | state nature preserve. 574 separate species |
| Camping is available at the Dunewood | | | | of plants have been observed growing in this |
| Campground on U.S. Highway 12 and Broadway, | | | | patch of prairie, or more than 1 species per |
| in Beverly Shores, Indiana. The campground | | | | acre. |
| includes a dump-station, two loops of trailer | | | | |
| accessible sites (some with pull-through | | | | Mount Baldy |
| drives). All sites have tent pads, grills, | | | | |
| picnic table and access to restrooms with | | | | Mount Baldy is a sand dune located west of |
| running water and showers. There are a | | | | Michigan City, Indiana. At 123 feet tall, it |
| limited number of walk-in sites in the Mather | | | | is the tallest sand dune on the southern |
| Loop. | | | | shore of Lake Michigan. It is a wandering |
| | | | dune that moves or shifts every year, and so |
| The park provides opportunities for bird | | | | is called a "living dune." Mount Baldy is |
| watching, camping, 45 miles (72 km) of | | | | accessible from U.S. Route 12 (also known as |
| hiking, fishing, swimming, horseback riding, | | | | Dunes Highway) between the town of Pines and |
| and cross-country skiing. Cycling is | | | | the western border of Michigan City. Visitors |
| available on the Calumet Trail, a crushed | | | | can hike up the dune and from the top, on a |
| limestone multiuse trail which runs through | | | | clear day, can view Chicago's skyline and the |
| the eastern section of the park, providing | | | | south shore. North of Mount Baldy is a |
| access to the Indiana Dunes State Park, as | | | | swimming beach (no lifeguards). |
| well as to the communities of Beverly Shores, | | | | |
| Indiana; the Town of Pines, Indiana; and | | | | Pinhook Bog |
| Mount Baldy (Sand Dune) on the edge of | | | | |
| Michigan City, Indiana. The park had more | | | | Pinhook Bog, a National Natural Landmark, is |
| than 2 million visits in 2005. | | | | a geographically isolated unit of the |
| | | | National Lakeshore. The quaking bog is |
| Rules state not to feed any of the wildlife, | | | | located near U.S. Highway 421 approxiamtely 9 |
| including seagulls, deer, or raccoons. | | | | miles (14 km) south of Michigan City. The bog |
| | | | formed from a postglacial kettle moraine left |
| Lakeshore history | | | | behind about 14,000 years before the present |
| | | | by the melting of the ice sheet during the |
| The Indiana Dunes area first came to | | | | end of the Wisconsin glaciation. The acidic |
| prominence in 1899 when Henry Cowles did some | | | | bog is noted for pitcher plants and other |
| of the pioneering work in American plant | | | | wetland species. Access to the bog is |
| ecology there. Despite attempts to protect | | | | restricted to ranger-led guided tours. |