Day trails explore Indiana Dunes marshes

A sandhill crane searches for food in the Great Marsh trail. NPS photo.

Among the most important features of Indiana Dunes National Park is its great number of wetlands.

While previous generations considered them wasteland that needed to be drained off, today we recognize that marshes support a large number of plants and animals, improve water quality, and reduce erosion and flooding. All of this makes them an interesting place to explore and to learn about our environment.

Bogs, fens and interdunal ponds dot the national park. Among the best of them to discover via day trails are:
• Cowles Bog – Day hikers can explore one of the national park’s many mysterious marshes on the 2.85-miles round trip Cowles Bog Trail. Cowles Bog actually is a fen, long known in literature as a dismal place; in the ancient Anglo-Saxon tale of Beowulf, the frightening, fog-laden fen was the lair of the monster Grendel. At Cowles, the mineral-rich groundwater feeds the wetlands, where partially decomposed plants settle into a mire and form peat. For the trailhead, park in the lot off of N. Mineral Springs Road north of U.S. Hwy. 12. The Greenbelt Trail also heads into the bog.
• Great Marsh – Sometimes the best way to appreciate a wetlands is from a vista, it stretching like a miles-wide impressionist painting before you as a variety of birds congregate or swoop in for a meal. A good way to observe the vast Great Marsh this way is via the Dune Ridge Trail, a 0.7-mile lollipop trail near Beverly Shores, Ind. Pick up the trail at the parking lot off of East State Park Road north of Hwy. 12. The 1.26-miles Great Marsh Trail lets hikers walk through the wetlands where they can several migratory birds – including sandhill cranes and great blue herons – each spring and autumn. The trail starts from the South Lot off of Broadway Avenue north of Hwy. 12.
• Inland Marsh – The 2.6-mile Tolleston Dunes Trail heads through the Inland Marsh near Ogden Dunes. While the high points on the trail run through an oak savanna, the low points (and there are plenty of them) serve as wetlands. Park in the lot at the end of the entry road off of Hwy. 12, about 0.15 miles west of Hillcrest Road.
• Interdunal wetlands – Connecting Calumet Dunes Paved Trail and Glenwood Dunes Trail to the National Lakeshore's Dunewood Campground, the 4.4-miles round trip Dunewood Trace Campground Trail skirts wetlands south of the Great Marsh. The water-filled depressions beneath and between small dunes sits less than a mile from Lake Michigan. This is a good trail if heading from the campground or if looking to extend a walk along the Calumet or Glenwood trails.
• Miller Woods – The first two loops of the Paul H. Douglas Trail (formerly the Miller Woods Trail and now sometimes referred to as the Douglas Center Loop) wind around wetlands and an interdunal pond for a 0.9-mile hike. A boardwalk cuts across the pond to form the loops’ shared leg. Park at the Douglas Center for Environmental Education off of North Lake Street north of Hwy. 12.
• Pinhook Bog – Two trails pass through the acidic swamp. The Pinhook Bog Trail runs 0.86-miles round trip (with 0.26 miles of restricted to ranger-led hikes) and features several unique plants, including five that are carnivorous. The Pinhook Upland Trail is a 2.1-mile round trip lollipop that cuts through a beech and maple forest while offering a great view of the bog.

Day trail explores fen at Indiana Dunes

Cowles Bog Tail in spring. NPS photo.

Cowles Bog Trail map. NPS illustration.

Day hikers can explore one of Indian Dunes National Park’s many mysterious marshes on the Cowles Bog Trail.

The 2.85-miles round trip hike is a segment of two stacked loops created by the Cowles Bog and the Greenbelt trails. This segment consists of a stem trail and the entire first loop; this keeps the walk focused on Cowles Bog and leaves out a steep sand dune and a Lake Michigan beach.

Cowles Bog actually is a fen, long known in literature as a dismal place; in the ancient Anglo-Saxon tale of Beowulf, the frightening, fog-laden fen was the lair of the monster Grendel. At Cowles, the mineral-rich groundwater feeds the wetlands, where partially decomposed plants settle into a mire and form peat. Unlike the nearby Pinhook Bog, Cowles’ water isn’t acidic but quite alkaline.

To reach the trailhead, from Chicago head east on U.S. Hwy. 12 or from Michigan City, Ind., go west on the road. Near Porter, Ind., turn north onto N. Mineral Springs Road. Just before passing the Town of Dune Acres guardhouse, turn right/east into the Cowles Bog Trail parking area. Walk alongside the parking lot entry road back to the guardhouse and cross N. Mineral Springs Road. The trail heads west from there.

Cowles Bog
The first segment – a stem trail – cuts between an uplands on the right/north and the Cowles Bog on the left/south.

Red maple and yellow birch dominate the uplands, but paper birch, tamarack and white pine also can be found. The fen along the first part of the stem trail often is a referred to as a tamarack swamp.

Along the bog’s edge are a number of shrubs, especially poison sumac and spicebush. Blackberry, grape, red osier and witch hazel also can be spotted.

At 0.6 miles, the trail reaches the beginning of the first loop. Go right/northeast, staying on the loop’s north side.

Though about 8000 years old, Cowles Bog during the past century has undergone major changes thanks to agriculture and industrialization. Prior to the 1960s, the bog was noticeably open but since has become increasingly wooded. Hybrid cattails also have replaced a diverse sedge meadow. Beginning in 2009, the National Park Service began to restore the bog. Orchids notably have begun to return to it.

The trail reaches the second loop at 1.1 miles from the trailhead. Rather than head into the dunes, go left/southwest.

Black oak savanna
This segment of the first loops runs through a black oak savanna. The savanna is a mix of the Great Plains’ prairies and the East’s hardwood forests. As the black oak trees are spaced apart, sunlight bathes the open spaces, allowing for a number of meadow grasses and wildflowers to also flourish.

Interdunal ponds sit northwest of the savanna. You also may notice small hills rising on the horizon; these are forested dunes with Mount Bentley directly north and Mount Tuthill to the northwest. On the other side of the dunes is a Lake Michigan beach.

At 1.4 miles, the loop reaches a junction. Go left/southeast to stay on the first loop. You’re now officially on the Greenbelt Trail.

The path heads back into Cowles Bog. Little Lake soon appears on the trail’s left/north side. At about 1.7 miles, the trail curves away from the lake and heads along a strip of high ground between the Eastern Wetlands on the right/south and a pond on the left/north side.

A number of birds and insects make the bog their home. But white-tailed deer also find food and protection from predators there. In the past, beavers have moved into the surrounding wetlands.

Father of plant ecology
At 1.95 miles, the path junctions with the first loop’s east side. Turn left/northeast onto it. This puts you back on the the Cowles Bog Trail.

Cowles Bog stretches across the horizon on the trail’s right/east side. The bog was named for Henry Cowles, a University of Chicago botanist whose study of Lake Michigan sand dunes during the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries established him as North America’s “father of plant ecology.” The bog is the only remaining ecosystem of the “Central Dunes” that Cowles studied.

At 2.25 miles, the loop comes full circle. Go right/east onto the stem trail and retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

Insect repellent is an absolute must on this trail. As much of it is unshaded, be sure to don sunscreen, sunglasses and sunhat. Also, given this is a wetlands, hiking boots with good traction are necessary.

Indiana Dunes trail explores flora-rich bog

Pink Lady's slipper grows in the Pinhook Bog at Indiana Dunes National Park.
Indiana Dunes boasts among the most diverse flora in the park system. NPS photo.

Pinhook Upland Trail map. NPS map.

Boasting more than 1400 native plants, Indiana Dunes National Park is among the National Park Service’s most diverse sites for flora. A great way to see many of those plants – including some of the more exotic ones – is the Pinhook Upland Trail.

The 2.1-mile round trip lollipop trail cuts through a beech and maple forest while offering a great view of the Pinhook Bog.

To reach the trailhead, from Chicago take Interstate 94 east. In Michigan City, Ind., go south on U.S. Hwy 421 then head left/east onto Snyder Road/W 200 N. Next, go right/south onto North Wozniak Road. In a little more than a mile, turn left/east into the Pinhook Bog parking lot. This part of the national park is not part of its main units along the Lake Michigan shore.

From the lot, go east on the stem trail. The trail surface is packed dirt but can be slippery and muddy after a rain, so be sure to wear hiking boots with good traction.

Beech, maple forest
The subtle changes in elevation so near Lake Michigan result in a variety of ecosystems, which in turn leads to a diversity of plant species throughout the park. Beaches and dunes, wetlands such as marshes and fens, oak savannas and wetland prairies, and hardwood forests, all can be found within the park.

Forests and a bog dominate the stem portion of the trail. At 0.3 miles in, the trail reaches the loop; go left/northeast onto it.

At a higher elevation than the bog, thus part of the loop runs through hardwood forests. Mature beech and maples shade a moraine, a ridge of sediment that was left by the edge of a glacier as it retreated about 15,000 years ago during the last ice age.

Just as the upland forest owes its existence to the area’s glacial history, so does the bog here. A chunk of the melting glacier left behind as the main one retreated depressed the land, forming a kettle lake. When the trapped glacier chunk fully melted, it filled the hole with water while pulverized clay and rock stuck inside it settled on the lake bottom.

The clay prevented the lake water from reaching groundwater or from springs and streams feeding the waterbody. As a result, this trapped meltwater grew increasingly stagnant and acidic over time.

Sphagnum moss
At 0.7 miles, the trail reaches a 33-foot bridge with the bog on the trails’ right/west side. Look for the light-green sphagnum moss covering the wetlands.

Sphagnum moss, which tolerates acidic water, forms floating mats over the lake. This in turn supports ferns, orchids (like pink lady’s slipper), and even strange carnivorous plants such as pitcher plants and sundew. As parts of the bog fill in, blueberry and and holly shrubs can take hold, which in turn opens the way for tamarack and red maple trees to take root.

The 38-foot bridge over the bog, at 0.9 miles from the trailhead, allow hikers to see these plants and many more.

The light-green mats of stringy sphagnum moss stand out in the bog and are even visible from the air. Thanks to compounds in the sphagnum’s cell walls, he moss does not decay easily, trapping water. Be careful to not step on the solid-looking moss – in addition to potentially harming other rare plants that grow atop it, the mats can’t fully support your weight, and you’re sure to get wet.

That’s true even of sphagnum moss that thickens up to six feet deep. If you spot blueberry and holly shrubs growing atop the moss, the mats are the deepest there.

At 1.2 miles in, the trail leaves the uplands for good and reaches a 53-foot bridge over the moss. The Pinhook Bog stretches for 580 acres on both sides of the trail; sphagnum moss covers about a quarter of that area.

Orchids, carnivorous plants
Breaking up the bog’s many green hues are a number of flowers, most notably the pink lady’s slipper. The sole lady’s slipper to lack stem leaves, it can grow up to 18 inches high. Other orchids here are the rose pogonia, which usually can be seen near the end of boardwalks, and the yellow fringed orchid.

Five carnivorous plants make the bog their home. The tiny spoonleaf sundew has spoon/teardrop-shaped leaves covered in mucilage-tipped tentacles that ensnare insects. Round-leaved sundew also has flypaper-styled leaves, which are round rather than teardrop-shaped. The purple pitcher plant’s leaves curl into a pitcher or cup half-filled with water and juices that trap and digest bugs. Hidden-fruited bladderwort feeds on small aquatic insects it captures in a bladder-shaped trap while the horned bladderwort does the same to small insects atop the soil.

At 1.7 miles, the loop reaches the stem trail. Go left/northwest onto it and retrace your steps back to parking lot.

Insect repellent is a must on this trail. Also, beware of poison sumac, which grows on the bog’s outer edges, known as the “moat”; poison sumac has compound leaves of seven to thirteen pointed leaflets with smooth edges.

Fire tower, small lake await hikers in forest

The Cromwell Lookout Tower.
Photo courtesy Minnesota's Historical
Fire Lookout Towers blog.

Minnesota's Rogers Lake Trail
runs for 7 miles across brushland

Families with older children will enjoy a hike past a fire tower and around small Rogers Lake in Minnesota’s Fond Du Lac State Forest.

The Rogers Lake Trail – a lollipop route in which the stem is far longer than the loop – runs about 7 miles round trip. A plethora of unnamed trails can be found throughout this corner of the state forest; for convenience, we’ve named the route after its destination.

To reach the trail, from Cromwell, take Minn. Hwy. 73 north. Turn right/east onto County Road 122 and then left/north onto County Road 120. Finally, go right/east onto County Road 223 (aka State Forest Road). The trailhead is in about a third of a mile, on the road’s right/south side. Park far off the road’s shoulder.

From the road, the jeep trail passes through a small clump of evergreens and then past the Cromwell Lookout Tower. Built in 1949 by the state forest service, the tower reaches 100 feet high.

Fires are common in the 64,505-acre state forest that stretches across Carlton and St. Louis counties. In fact, one of Minnesota’s deadliest forest fires occurred in what later would become the state forest: The 1918 Cloquet Fire, sparked during a drought, left 453 dead and burned 250,000 acres.

Marshland
After a road gate, the trail heads south into open brush country. Alder and willow trees tend to dominate most of the state forest’s brush areas.

In about a quarter mile from the fire tower, the trail veers northeast and parallels a long, narrow stretch of marsh. If hiking in spring or summer, be sure to wear mosquito repellent.

About a mile from the trailhead, you’ll come to a tree farm. There’s a small shelter here for resting. The trail briefly passes through the plantation. With younger children, this marks a good spot to turn around; you’ve gone 1.5 miles for a 3-mile round trip.

If doing the full hike, the jeep trail crosses a narrower walking path then turns north, going by wetlands that usually are more blue than dry. This is an excellent place to watch for waterfowl, especially ducks.

Rogers Lake
The trail then continues northeast, coming to a junction for a logging road heading south; go straight/northeast, however.

Next the trail reaches a T-intersection. Go left/north; within a few dozen feet, turn right/east. The trail to this point has been a stem to this small, 1-mile loop that circles Rogers Lake.

Go left/north (or clockwise) on the loop. Rogers Lake covers six acres and so is among the smallest of Carlton County's 114 lakes. The terrain around the lake does head up and down a little, but most of the trail is flat and even.

Once the loop reaches the main stem trail, return the way you came.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

How to avoid bugs when day hiking with children

To avoid bugs such as pesky mosquitoes, change the time and location
of your hike.

Mosquitoes, gnats, black flies…such little creatures can prove to be a great annoyance when day hiking, especially with children. Sometimes even insect repellent doesn’t help, mainly because after a mile or two of sweating, it runs off.

Hiking at the right time and the right places, however, almost always can ensure that bugs won’t bother you.

Opt to hike during these times:
g Early spring August through October – Bug populations peak in May and June.
g After lunch – This can help you avoid a couple of the more annoying insects as black flies like to be out during the morning while mosquitoes prefer dusk.
g Breezy days – Most bugs have difficulty flying when winds exceed 5 mph, so they won’t be out to bother you.
g Cooler days – Insects will be less active when the temperature is below 60 F, though you may need a sweatshirt.

Opt to hike in these locations:
g Dry areas – Bugs often lay their eggs in wet areas, so they’ll be more abundant near waterways, pools and wetlands.
g Sunny areas – Insects generally like shade, so a trail open to the sun means fewer of them. Don’t forget your sunscreen, though.

One last tip to avoid bugs: Don’t wear fragrances. The sweet, flowery scents attract bugs. Instead, use unscented deodorant or hair products before heading out onto a trail.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

How to avoid mosquitoes when day hiking with children

Just because mosquitoes are out doesn’t mean you have to spray your body with all kinds of nasty chemicals. There are ways to avoid being mosquitoes - and kids are certain to find a hike unpleasant if bitten repeatedly – without using DEET or bug repellent. Start by not attracting the pests to you in the first place:
g Hike when the sun is high – Mosquitoes tend to come out at dawn and dusk.
g Dump the fragrances - Perfumes, shampoos and sunscreens that carry flowery or fruity scents are a natural draw for the critters.
g Wear light clothing – Mosquitoes can better spot dark clothing, so they’re drawn to those wearing black and navy blue.
g Don’t eat salty foods – Mosquitoes are attracted to lactic acid, which you’ll have more of after eating foods like potato chips. Ditto with high-potassium foods like beans and potatoes.
g Stay out of wet areas – During spring and summer, don’t walk through wetlands or areas with bodies of standing water, where mosquitoes breed.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

Kids will love hike just inches above swamp

Raised boardwalk at Congaree National Park.
Photo courtesy Congaree NPS.

Trail map. Courtesy Congaree NPS.

Thinking of heading to a national park this year or maybe traveling through South Carolina? Consider stopping at Congaree National Park for a walk through a swamp – all from the safety and comfort of a raised boardwalk.

Just a half-hour’s drive from Columbia, the capital city, Congaree preserves the continent’s largest remaining old-growth floodland forest. This is what much of South Carolina was like during the early 1700s before European colonists settled the area.

Children (and you!) will enjoy the 2.4-mile Boardwalk Trail loop. You’ll head beneath a tree canopy of bald cypress, tupelo, laurel oak, sweet gum, water hickory, and loblolly pine that soars 10 stories over your heads. In addition, expect to spot river otters, turtles, wood ducks and plenty of other birds along the hike.

Be forewarned: You won’t want to hike during periods of heavy rain. The trail often floods over as the wetland’s water level rises.

To reach the trail, from Interstate 77, go south on S.C. Hwy. 48. Then turn right onto Mountain View Road. In about 0.8 miles, turn right onto Old Bluff Road. You’ll reach the park entrance sign in about 0.6 miles; turn left onto the park entrance road for a mile to the Harry Hampton Visitor Center.

From the visitor center, head west (then south) on a stem trail that in 0.2 miles arrives at the loop. Go left/east onto the loop so that you do the trail clockwise.

In 0.5 miles, the loop reaches the junction with the Sims Trail, which heads south across the swamp, again meeting the loop on the other side. Continue on the Boardwalk Loop, which in short order veers south.

You’re now on the loop’s east side. This section of the trail is elevated up to six feet above the forest floor. It gives you a good perspective of the bottomland hardwoods and upland pines.

After 0.7 miles, the trail reaches Weston Lake. The oxbow lake at one time was once a channel of the Congaree River.

The trail curves west at the lake. In 0.2 miles, the loop junctions the Sims Trail for the second time. A former park service road, the Sims is an easy trail to negotiate, but at this point in the hike is not a good shortcut to take north back to the visitor center; it actually will add a third of a mile to the hike.

Instead, continue straight/west. After 0.3 miles, the loop turns north and becomes the “Low Boardwalk.”

Here the trail heads along the forest floor, and during or following heavy rainfalls can be submerged. Unlike the forest along the elevated boardwalk, bald cypress and water tupelo dominate. Depending on the sunlight above the canopy, this section of the trail can feel primeval (when sunny) or downright spooky (when cloudy).

The loop reaches the stem in 0.5 miles. Go left/north onto the stem trail and return to the visitor center.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.

How to best cross water with hiking kids

When hiking with children, you want to avoid crossing water. Still, sometimes to reach a destination you’ll have to go through small streams, or in the case of a tide or a recent flashflood you may be cut off from your vehicle. With children, it’s usually best to avoid a water crossing by properly timing your hike – don’t walk a beach at high tide, for example – or simply turning back when the trail ends at a waterway, such as when a bridge is washed out.

If you must cross, do so where the water is calm and no higher than hip deep, which probably will be too deep for young children, meaning you’ll need to put them in a baby carrier. You’ll typically find calm spots at a bend in the river or stream, mainly because the waterway widens and slows at the turn. Look ahead for any deep water. It will appear dark or greener than the rest of the waterway. Before crossing, check the far bank to make sure it isn’t undercut or steep, as climbing out of the water will be difficult for children or for you if they’re on your back.

One kind of water crossing you may face is rock hopping across a stream that at worst runs only a few inches deep. Approach any rock hopping cautiously, for the stones will be slippery. You want to keep your feet dry and don’t to want to risk falling – children can drown in just three inches of water. First, select your rock, looking for those that are wide enough to support one of your feet and that can be reached with steps rather than jumps. Always test each rock’s stability with your trekking pole before committing to it.

If you lose your balance, don’t fret about stepping into the water to stay upright. It’s almost always better to have one wet foot than to fall.

Waterlogged ground, such as marshland and swamps, ought to be avoided. More than your feet will get wet as you sink into mud, which makes stepping very difficult if not impossible for children. Should children fall, they might land in pockets of deep water. In addition, snakes and insects can abound in such environments.

Read more about cross dangerous terrain when day hiking with children in the guidebook Hikes with Tykes.