profile

Minerva & Sam

The Two Sides of Indiana Dunes National Park

Published 5 months ago • 1 min read

Hey there Reader,

Most people come to Indiana Dunes National Park for the beaches and rolling sand dunes along Lake Michigan.

But there’s another side that doesn’t get as much attention — the quiet wetlands and marshes that stretch just inland.

We spent a full day exploring two short trails that show off both sides of the park: the peaceful Great Marsh Trail and the stair-filled Dune Succession Trail.

Great Marsh Trail: Birdwatching & Wetlands

We started our day at the Great Marsh Trail, a quiet, flat 1.3-mile loop through the park’s restored wetlands. It’s a very different trail compared to the dunes. It's shaded, calm and full of bird calls echoing across the marsh. Perfect for birdwatching!

My parents joined us from Wisconsin while we were road-tripping to Ohio, and we took our time exploring. We stopping at the observation deck to watch birds and listen to the sounds of the marsh.

It was peaceful, with almost no one else on the trail when we visited in May.

If you visit in spring, definitely bring bug spray and check for ticks. We learned that lesson quickly. Both of our dogs picked up quite a few before the hike was over!

Climbing the Stairs of the Dune Succession Trail

After cleaning up and dropping the dogs back at our Airbnb, we set out to hike the Dune Succession Trail along West Beach. It's a short 1-mile loop that climbs about 270 stairs over the dunes and opens up to incredible views of Lake Michigan and even the Chicago skyline on a clear day.

At the top of the stairs, the trail winds along the ridge before dropping down toward West Beach.

Expect sand in your shoes, but the views make every step worth it.

Two Trails, One Park

It’s the contrast between the marshland and dunes that made our visit to Indiana Dunes so memorable. You can walk through quiet wetlands filled with birds in the morning, and in the afternoon, stand on top of a dune watching waves crash along the shore.

It’s not a park I feel the need to revisit, at least not for us. One full day was plenty. But there’s clearly more to discover & explore for anyone who wants to see it all.

See you on the trail,

Minerva & Sam

P.S. Which side of Indiana Dunes sounds more like your kind of hike? The peaceful marsh or sandy climb of the dunes? Hit reply and let us know!

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246

​
​Unsubscribe · Preferences

Minerva & Sam

With Each Mile

Hey, we’re Minerva & Sam! We both work full-time, but spend as much of our free time as we can road-tripping with our dogs, Toby & Lily. So far, that’s taken us 37,000+ miles across 38 states & 14 National Parks, and we share our experiences along the way.

Read more from Minerva & Sam
A wide, wooden boardwalk with sturdy handrails curves gracefully through a lush, green floodplain forest filled with towering ancient trees.

Hey there Reader, Some people call Congaree National Park “underwhelming” or "the worst National Park". I think it's because they go in comparing it to Yosemite Valley or Yellowstone's geysers. We just spent a long weekend exploring this South Carolina National Park with Toby and Lily and I don't think they could have been more wrong. While it's true that Congaree doesn't have mountain tops or coastlines, it does have "Champion Trees" (the tallest trees in the eastern U.S.), floodplains and...

11 days ago • 1 min read
Road Trip Car Cost Calculator with fields to enter trip distance, gas price, car and rental car mileage, vehicle type, and rental cost. Includes buttons to compare or reset results, with a note that costs are rough estimates.

Hey there Reader, As a scientist, I love data — the more I have, the better I can plan. But I also like tools that are simple and give a “close enough” answer to be useful (what good is a tool if you have to enter a ton of variables?). Minerva and I have road tripped across the US a couple of times, covering over 36,500 miles exploring National Parks. We usually drive our own cars because they’re comfortable, reliable, and get solid gas mileage. Plus we know the exact trunk size which makes...

5 months ago • 1 min read
A panoramic collage of Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park. The left panel shows a paved hiking trail with a rustic wooden railing. A person with dark, curly hair, wearing a maroon top and white shorts, stands by the railing, looking into the dense for

Hey there Reader, Welcome back for Part 4, the last in our Last Summer in the PNW series! Last time, we were up in the mountains at Hurricane Ridge watching the sun set behind Mount Olympus (catch up on Part 3 here!). This time, we’re exploring two of Olympic’s most beautiful waterfalls: Sol Duc Falls and Marymere Falls. Sol Duc Falls: Easy Trail, Beautiful Falls Sol Duc Falls kept popping up as one of the most recommended stops in Olympic. The hike’s short and easy (1.8-mile out-and-back),...

6 months ago • 1 min read