Indiana Dunes National Park Great Marsh Trail — Attraction in Beverly Shores

Why is it called the Great Marsh?  Simple. It once stretched from Michigan City nearly to Gary and, being impassable, it was a barrier to development of the Indiana dunes and shoreline until the twentieth century.

The Great Marsh was dramatically altered around the turn of the century.  Sliced by roads and ditches.  Drained for agriculture and homesites. Vegetation transformed,  wildlife fled.

Slowly, remnants of the marsh are being restored to approximate their previous state.  The Great Marsh Trail, which follows abandoned streets once within the town of Beverly Shores,  takes you through a section of the restored marsh.  The trail is flat and about a mile in length.

You will see birds of all kinds, including waterfowl and wading birds like herons and egrets.  Hawks may wheel in the sky.  Finches will flit through the brush.  You will hear frogs, see turtles, perhaps see deer, muskrat, or racoon.

It's a marsh: the trail may be muddy, sometimes even water-covered in areas. Parking is only allowed at the trailhead, unless you have a handicap permit.

In addition to the marked trail there are other abandoned roads that can be followed a ways, depending on the season. Jones Avenue is across Broadway  and a bit north of the parking lot. It leads to another recently restored section of the marsh. The National Park Service has plans to restore additional parts...

I had great experience in this National Park. It can be little confused with State and National due to the pay to enter. But i was able to figure it out. Also it took me a while to figure out of which beach that I can take my dog. I was quick to figure it out. All you need is to move further away from the lifeguard post and be near the dog baggie/trash post. Thats where you can have dogs hang out and farther away from the swimming area with lifeguard. My dog and I had great time hiking in Three Dunes Challenge. My dog love it. And also my dog love to swim in the lake after hiking. It was really great day. I would love to come back. Early morning around 7 am is the best timing for...

The forest - a hike with a twist! Forget the clearly marked paths. Here, it's all about navigating the dense trees and undergrowth. Limited parking made the day interesting, and the trail markings were a bit sparse, but that's what made the adventure so much fun. The raw beauty of the forest, the sound of the wind whistling through the trees, and the glimpse of wildlife peeking through - a truly...