Terri of the Trails

The Great Marsh of the Indiana Dunes: Swamp-Walking in the Indiana Dunes State Park

May 23, 2013

If you look at the history of humans in the Indiana Dunes area, you will not see much record or evidence of habitation in the early years. Mostly, Native Americans, French fur traders and others passed through this area just to hunt, fish and forage, not staying long in this land of sand, swamp and fierce lake winds.

A swamp is not an easy place for a person to live, but it teems with a great diversity of wildlife. My husband and I had walked the whole Cowles Bog Trail last year, traveling through five different ecosystems. The bog is about in the middle of the Great Marsh.

map overview of lake shore in the Indiana Dunes

You can see it on this map of the lake shore, situated between Indiana Dunes State Park and the Port of Indiana. You can also see how the Great Marsh stretches from Gary in the west to (almost) Michigan City in the east. And, you can also see how industry drained a good-sized chunk of the Great Marsh and carved it out for roads, mills and other buildings.

But, on this day of May, Richard and I were not exploring Cowles Bog, the Port of Indiana, or even the beach. We wanted to go swamp-walking on the trails of the Great Marsh that lie within the boundaries of Indiana Dunes State Park.

map of Indiana Dunes State Park

In this map of the State Park (above), you can see the Marsh (swamp) in the middle left of the Dunes Nature Preserve, just to the east of the really busy part of the park.

overview exhibit of natural features of Indiana Dunes State Park

Compare the State Park map with this exhibit in the Indiana Dunes State Park Nature Center. You see basically the same thing, but with emphasis on the natural features. Roads and trails are evident, mostly through forested areas. The blue line at the top, Lake Michigan, is bordered by the tan shoreline and foredunes. Tan spots that insert farther from shore into the green spaces are sandy “blowouts”.

And in the middle of all of the green, it's easy to see where the Swamp is situated, nestled in that low area between the old Tolleston and Calumet Beaches (see previous Great Marsh blog entry).

Notice the trails going around the swamp. That is where we will walk.

detail of Indiana Dunes State Park trails map showing Great Marsh trails

We are going to start at the Nature Center and take the Nature Center Trail to Trail 8. Here, we will go across a short boardwalk across Dunes Creek (the very same creek that empties into Lake Michigan to the north), and will end up near Wilson Shelter, where we will veer southeast to meet up with Trail 2.

We'll wander Trail 2 through the forest, where there are lots of ferns and wildflowers, and then veer northward on Trail 2 to take the long boardwalk over the Marsh. We will meet up with Trail 10 and take it to the west, then detour on the little side trail that goes to the Bird Observation Tower. We will then continue on Trail 10, heading westward close to the Marsh, take a short dip south, follow Trail 10 westward again, and then flow right into the Nature Center Trail, and back to “home base”.

Ready? It’s a long walk! Let's go!

The beautiful Nature Center at Indiana Dunes State Park.

Just outside the Nature Center: a garden of native plants that are found in these woodlands.

We begin the walk on the Nature Center Trail, entering the Dunes Nature Preserve.

Witch Hazel is a common shrub in the Indiana Dunes woodlands. This Witch Hazel leaf has a gall created from leaf tissue after a tiny insect laid its egg on the leaf.

Maple-Leaved Viburnum, also common here, just before blooming. Both this and the Witch Hazel will be blazing with color in the fall.

We start out on Trail 8. The boardwalk over Dunes Creek is in the distance.

The very large and elegant Cinnamon Fern, with its spicy-colored fertile stalk in the middle. We will see many of these along the wet parts of trails.

Royal Fern, also common in the Indiana Dunes wetlands, is to the left of it.

At the edge of Dunes Creek, along the Trail 8 boardwalk, Lizard Tail grows in the swamp.

Spatterdock (or Yellow Pond Lily), blooming bright yellow over the water. Around it is the tiniest flowering plant, Duckweed, which may look like algae from a distance.

Along Trail 8 – Arrow Arum lifts its great leaves above the swamp water as tiny Duckweed floats on top. (Well, I say Arrow Arum, but there are a few arrow-leaved species and I'm having trouble telling the difference - I need to go see them again, with field guides in hand!)

The density and lushness of plant life in the swamp.

This one is a mystery to me, and a mysterious looking flower on this tree or shrub. I would love to find out what it is!

Bracken Fern grows abundantly in the wet places.

Elegant Grape vines with pendulous stalks of growing fruit hang over the swamp.

Dead Man’s Fingers fungus reaches up out of the wet ground below.

We now meet up with Trail 2.

A tiny wasp visits the blooms of Clustered Snakeroot.

Pale yellow blossoms dance up the flowering stalk of Swamp Lousewort.

Wild Leeks, also called Ramps, with vibrant purple petioles.

Clusters of Squaw Root grow all along a good-sized portion of wet woodlands along Trail 2, on the way to the boardwalk. Squaw Root is a flowering plant that does not have chlorophyll, so it is not green. Instead of converting energy from the sun into food, it feeds from tree roots, particularly oaks.

Richard continues on Trail 2, stepping through fallen Dogwood petals.

Slugs love damp places.

We come across a collection of the very large shelf-type mushroom called Dryad’s Saddle. These are so large that it’s easy to imagine mythical creatures perched on them.

We are reaching the Trail 2 boardwalk which goes across the Great Marsh, and will be turning to the north.

These clusters of giant leaves are seen almost everywhere in constantly wet conditions of the Great Marsh. They belong to the Skunk Cabbage, which was the first plant to bloom in late winter. It must smell very interesting here at that time of year.

The leaves and seed heads of Marsh Marigold in the swamp along the Trail 2 boardwalk.

Lush swamp vegetation greets Richard as he travels the boardwalk over the swamp.

Another wonderful swampy neighborhood scene. A Wood Duck house is mounted on a tree across the way.

There are no obstacles for the many-legged millipede.

A swampy scene full of Sensitive Ferns.

Logs fallen into the swamp water become miniature ecosystems. Rain makes shimmery ripples on the swamp. We walk on, despite the rain and the distant rumble of thunder.

The wet Trail 2 boardwalk, lined with a great variety of plant life.

Standing at the edge of the boardwalk over the Great Marsh, I encounter a number of plants I don’t know, growing out of the water.

These large shrubs, or short trees, hold rounded bunches of waxy white flowers. I am not sure what they are, but maybe Nannyberry, which is also called Sweet Viburnum, and related to the Maple-Leaved Viburnum at the beginning of the Nature Center Trail.

A glowing swamp scene under overcast skies.

Along the latter part of the Trail 2 boardwalk. Different plants appear here, where there is very little drainage or movement of water. Debris from dead plants rots and collects at the bottom of the swamp, making it more shallow and more amenable to reeds and grasses.

Nearing the end of Trail 2, we come upon an old tree with a large stack of Sulfur Shelf mushrooms.

We now turn westward onto Trail 10. It is hard to believe that, to the north of us (our right), there are dunes! We will be walking through wet woodlands and a bit of swamp.

Wild Sarsaparilla blooming along Trail 10. This is one of my favorite plant names. I imagine Yosemite Sam exclaiming “Well, I’ll be a Wild Sarsaparilla!”

Richard ambles along on Trail 10. We are headed to the side trail that takes us to the Bird Observation Tower.

The side trail to the Bird Observation Tower, drawing us in through the dappled light of woods and swampy places.

A noble stand of Royal Fern, arching from its thin, dark stems, rises right out of the water.

To the top of the tower – peeking through the trees.

What a view!! This is from the top of the tower, looking straight ahead. We are looking across the Great Marsh. The woods on the other side are where we walked the long part of Trail 2 before the boardwalk. It looks like a long way from here.

From the top – looking to the east across the Great Marsh. Beyond this is the boardwalk.

From the top – looking to the west across the Great Marsh. This is where we are headed.

After leaving the Observation Tower, we continue westward on Trail 10. We reach an area abundant in blooming Wild Columbine

It’s time to check the trail map…

We now enter the Prescribed Burns area.

Frequently, we see drifts of Canada Mayflower in bloom on the forest floor. This plant is also called Wild Lily-of-the-Valley.

We are nearing the end of Trail 10. Things are looking a little different.

Here we see evidence of fairly recent prescribed burns. And here is where Trail 10 meets up with Trail 9, which has wound its way over from the dunal areas.

A wild gooseberry shrub is starting to bear fruit.

And here we are – back on the Nature Center Trail, almost to home base!

We hope you enjoyed out Great Marsh walk with us. Please visit Indiana Dunes State Park and experience these trails - during any season.

Stay tuned … the third installment of The Great Marsh of the Indiana Dunes will show up soon, when we will walk a new trail in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore area, in an area that is being restored to its former self ….

near Beverly Shores, Indiana

The Great Marsh of the Indiana Dunes

The Backstory

May 23 and 24, 2013

The Indiana Dunes is such a fantastically diverse place. Here you can find Lake Michigan, sandy shore, dunes, swales, pine woods, hardwood forests, swamps, marshes, ponds, bogs, creeks, rivers and savanna. Sweeping off behind to the south is a large stretch of moraine, and behind that is the great land of savanna, sandy prairie and the Kankakee River valley wetlands, most of it now farmed. In the northern part, near the lake, all of this soup of ecosystems shares space with industry.

I grew up in this area. We played at the beach on summer days, climbed dunes, hiked trails, and walked along the lake shore. It is a place that is a strong part of my soul, and my heart leaps every time I see the view of sandy shore, rolling waves, and the blue-gray waters fading off into the sky, through an airy stand of Cottonwood trees, leaves fluttering in the lake breezes.

Even so, there is so much of it I didn't know.

Starting several years ago, Richard and I have taken our daughter and some of her friends here. Those were primarily “beach days” for the girls, though I would contemplate the design of pebbles washed up by the waves, and slip away now and then to observe the succession of plant life further back from the beach. Since then, Richard and I have been coming about twice a year, exploring more of the area, walking more of the trails, learning more about the array of ecosystems, and experiencing other seasons besides summer.

In May of this year, we focused on The Great Marsh and walked two trails that were new to us, in both the Indiana Dunes State Park and in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore areas.

“Great Marsh” is a misnomer, as one interpretive sign did point out. A marsh is a wetland dominated by herbaceous plants, mostly grasses, rushes, reeds and cat-tails. What we explored is really a swamp, which is a wetland where trees and shrubs are predominant. Both marshes and swamps have saturated soils. Marshes tend to be continually inundated with water, while swamps can be just partially or intermittently covered. But, the main difference is the matter of trees, which tend to be those species that don't mind having their feet wet all or most of the time.

Where is the Great Marsh (or Swamp) at the Indiana Dunes? It is a long stretch of swamp tucked between stretches of dunes, all running parallel to the lake shore.

This exhibit in the Indiana Dunes State Park Nature Center shows clearly how the swamp is situated between stretches of dunes (that little blue spot snugged in there). The dunal areas, starting just behind the beach, are a series of stages in the botanical landscape, referred to as “succession”. In the evolution of landscape, one stage succeeds another over time as more soil is created by the breakdown of plants from the previous stage, and conditions change. The last stage, called the “climax stage”, is the ultimate attainment, where the ecosystem maintains itself for a long period of time.

This is very clear to see at the Indiana Dunes.

In 1899, Henry Chandler Cowles (my hero!) developed and described this concept in his doctoral thesis, after studying the Indiana Dunes (more about him in a future blog).

So, how did a marsh (or swamp) get tucked in between two dunal succession stages? It doesn't fit in with the whole natural succession idea here. It seems to be an interesting anomaly.

It turns out that it got tucked in there between the fore and aft dunes as a result of changing lake levels, over thousands of years. The “aft” dunes are the oldest, and are referred to as “Calumet Beach”. This was formed after the last glacier receded and formed Lake Chicago. On the old Calumet Beach there now rests two roads that run parallel to the lake: Route 12 (which teeters on the edge between swamp and old beach) and US 20. Also seated on this old beach are towns such as Chesterton, Portage, Porter and Town of Pines – rather sandy places.

The lake level was higher when Calumet Beach was formed. As the level receded, Toleston Beach was formed, leaving water on either side. When lake levels rose again, waves pushed Toleston Beach further inland. The waves also created higher dunes on Toleston, which eventually became the present-day foredunes and beach. On Toleston Beach sits some towns whose names bespeak their location on or near the shores of Lake Michigan: Ogden Dunes, Dune Acres, Beverly Shores, Michigan City, and the industrial Burns Harbor.

looking west, with Burns Harbor in the distance

looking east, near Beverly Shores

This also created a lagoon between Calumet and Toleston beaches. When the water level in the lagoon dropped, water-loving plants could colonize it, other wildlife came in, and it developed as as great marsh (swamp). The historical succession, therefore, is: Lake Michigan, Toleston Beach (lakeshore and foredunes), Great Marsh (swamp), and Calumet Beach (older dunes). As the interpretive sign in the photo points out, the Great Marsh “...once extended from Gary to Michigan City”. Over the span of more modern history, humans drained a good part of the swamp for farming and development, as humans have been wont to do to such places.

But, nowadays, we appreciate the richness, diversity and ecological value of such ecosystems, just as they are. More of them are being preserved, and such has been the case with the remains of The Great Swamp at the Indiana Dunes.

Here is an interesting site to check out: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=82afc07b-ba9d-4e66-a20f-dca1b903c22b

I will be taking you on our two walks that we took in May, around and through The Great Marsh, in successive entries to this blog, to share our experiences. Sometime, I also will share with you the walk we took at Cowles Bog in early June of 2012. For now, here is a sampling of wildlife from The Great Marsh, in May: