Rick's Hiking & Fun Group

Join me for a brisk winter hike at Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve on Sunday morning. This Shirley Heinze Landtrust preserve is located on the east side of Michigan City, south of US 12 on Meer Rd.

The main parking lot is located just north of Tryon Road on the west side of Meer Road. Google Maps will get you there. Let's meet there at 10am for a 4 mile hike to check out the preserve! The terrain is mostly flat and wet and we will hike at a moderate pace.

Ambler Flatwoods is a dedicated Indiana state nature preserve. It is a big place, but its greatest delights are the small things. Tiny forests of rare club mosses cover the ground. Mushrooms in colorful variety emerge from the leaf litter. Salamanders lurk beneath fallen logs. Migratory birds find temporary shelter high in its trees. The sound of hooting owls punctuates the night. Twenty species of reptiles and amphibians have been identified here.

Hope to see you there! -Eileen

Time 4pm CT, 5pm ET

This is one of the nature spots I visit most often. It is easy to get to, but feels remote, and has a bit of woods as well as beach, and a creek that's never in the same place.

We'll start with a 10-15 minute hike through the woods over the dune. The trail ends on a dramatic sand cliff overlooking the beach. But there's an easier way down off to the side.

Then we'll walk for 1/2 a mile on the beach sand towards the creek, with dunes on one side and the lake on the other.

Then we turn around and go back. Total distance traveled is roughly 2 miles, but it is mostly over loose sand, so will feel like more.

The sun should set when we are near the creek. We can enjoy the spectacle, and make our way back across the beach and through the woods in the dusk. You might want to bring a flashlight, but the pale sand makes a good path.

Difficulty
This is a medium-low difficulty hike, because of walking uphill on loose sand for parts of the walk, but mostly from a mile of walking on the beach . Though if you are just up for an easier experience, you can just stop and hang out on the beach, or turn around at any point-- you can't get lost, the only branching trail is blocked off.

Starting Location
We'll gather by the bathrooms near the parking lot.

101 Rice St, Michigan City, IN 46360
It is just a few minutes west of Michigan City on Beverly Drive, near the power plant.

Details
• Dogs are allowed on leash
• Most of the hike will be on beach sand
• Bring some water
• Bathrooms are next to the parking lot, but can't guarantee they will be open in January.
• In case of bad weather the hike may be bumped

Parking
Backup Parking: If the lot is full there is a small parking lot available at the end of the Calumet trail on HW12, half a mile south of the entrance to Mt. Baldy

Parking is overseen by the National Park system. The Indiana Dunes National Park pass, and "America the Beautiful - Interagency Pass" are both valid.

• https://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/fees.htm
• https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm

State Park passes are not accepted.

Feel free to text or call me at 217-717-7860 for last minute details.

Hope to see you there,
Jonathan

Photos from last time:
https://www.meetup.com/ricks-hiking-fun-group/photos/34860106/

Time 1pm CT 2pm ET

This is a nice hike through the woods. We should be sheltered from the wind.

Difficulty:
Moderate. The total distance is about 4 miles, and the trail is seldom steep, usually narrow, and has some roots. Some parts are paved.

Winter Weather Warning
Hiking automatically involve risks from weather, trail conditions. This is especially true in winter.

The winter wind can powerfully chill. Be prepared to bundle up more than you think you will need to. And dress with layers that you can remove / unzip / open, as the hike starts to warm you up.
More info: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-dress-in-cold-weather.html

Details

• Bathrooms next to the parking lot (if they are open)
• In case of bad weather the hike may be moved to Sunday
• Dogs are not allowed

Starting Location
Parking Lot just off of 20 and Brummitt Rd.
41.648245, -87.015382

Map
Here's a copy of the route: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/map-january-5-2025-1d8c9f7?u=i&sh=hbgaui

Access
Parking is overseen by the National Park system. Both the Indiana Dunes National Park pass, and "America the Beautiful - Interagency Pass" are valid.

• https://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/fees.htm
• https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm

State Park passes are not accepted.

Feel free to text or call me at 217-717-7860 for last minute details.
Please cancel your RPVP if you can't make it, so we don't wait for you.
Hope to see you there,

Jonathan (I'm a bearded guy with glasses, and a bright blue backpack)

Time 3pm CT, 4pm ET

To honor Martin Luther King jr's birthday the National Parks are allowing free admittance. So it's a good time for a first visit.

This loop has a lot of variety-- open sandy country, the edge of a lake, deep woods, the beach along the lake-- and a high series of stairs over the dunes. The hike will end at the beach, and if weather cooperates, a sunset.

Difficulty
There are two ways to do this hike. The full thing is a moderately hard hike of 4.5 miles. There is a lot of up and down, but the worst of that is on stairs, instead of loose sand. But there are a lot of stairs, about 75 vertical feet.

If that is a bit much, you can skip the stairs, just do the first 2.5 miles, which ends up next to the parking lot. You can take the easy, paved way to the beach from there if you like.

Don't worry, you don't have to decide which way you want to go until we get to the stairs.

Starting Location
We'll gather near the far end of the parking lot, near the bathrooms, and the the path to the beach. Basically you want to keep driving until you can't get any closer to the lake.

West Beach, Portage, IN

Coordinates: 41.62258° N, 87.20811° W

Make sure your GPS is pointed to the right place. I added a map of where we're meeting to the photo gallery.

Details
• Dogs are allowed on leash
• Bring some water
• Bathrooms are next to the parking lot
• In case of bad weather the hike may be bumped to Sunday

Parking
Parking is overseen by the National Park system. The Indiana Dunes National Park pass, and "America the Beautiful - Interagency Pass" are both valid.

• https://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/fees.htm
• https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm

State Park passes are not accepted.

You can call or text me at 217-717-7860 for last minute questions or details.

Hope to see you there,
Jonathan

Photos from recent hikes here:
https://www.meetup.com/ricks-hiking-fun-group/photos/34596724/
https://www.meetup.com/ricks-hiking-fun-group/photos/33821474/