Dune Ridge Trail

The featured hike is a lollipop shaped trail. From the parking lot trailhead, head south with a short tour through a foredune complex on sandy soil. It transitions into an oak savanna with a more stable soil structure, which provides better footing. At the junction with the loop trail, turn left to hike the loop in the clockwise direction. The loop starts on an old roadbed and you'll need to turn right to leave the wide road onto a sandy singletrack trail. The trail will climb to the top of the dune offering sweeping views of the Great Marsh. Follow the trail along the ridge line before hiking down a steep section of loose sand. The trail will wind back to the loop junction. At the junction, turn left and follow the trail north to the parking lot.

Indiana Dunes National Park (formerly national lakeshore) was established to preserve portions of the Indiana Dunes and other areas of scenic, scientific, historic and recreational value. Up to two million annual visitors enjoy the park's 15,000 acres of wetlands, prairies, sand dunes, oak savannas, forests, and historic sites. The park's 15 miles of beaches hug the southern shore of Lake Michigan from Gary, IN, to Michigan City, IN. For more information, visit https://www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm or https://www.facebook.com/IndianaDunesNPS.