News Release

Diana of the Dunes Trail Challenge Starts March 25 at National Park

Date: March 17, 2021

INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK: “Diana’s Dare” a new hiking challenge kicks off at Indiana Dunes National Park with an online event on March 25th at 2:00 pm. Learn why the park has renamed a West Beach sand dune in honor of the legendary Diana of the Dunes and is daring visitors to try and hike to the top. 

More than 100 years ago, Alice Mabel Gray left her city life in Chicago, choosing instead to live in an abandoned shanty along the wild shoreline of the Indiana Dunes. For the next 10 years, as she explored her beloved Dunes, she withstood both natural hardships and those created by a relentless, sensation-driven press. She became known as “Diana of the Dunes,” and her exploits in the region have since become the stuff of legends, ghost stories, and books.  

Learn how you can follow in her footsteps during an online presentation on March 25th at 2:00 pm. Get a preview of this challenging new trail experience and learn more about the life and legacy of Alice Gray. See a preview of a fun selfie station and the trail’s spectacular views of Lake Michigan. The Diana’s Dare Trail Challenge is made possible through a partnership between Indiana Dunes Tourism, the Friends of Indiana Dunes and Indiana Dunes National Park. This online presentation is free. No need to register. Just go to the national park's Facebook page: IndianaDunesNPS at 2:00 pm on March 25^th. 

For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Park, please contact the visitor center's information line at 219-395-1882.  

www.nps.gov 

The Indiana Dunes National Park is one of 423 units of the National Park System ranging from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty. Located in Northwest Indiana, the park includes 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and 15,000 acres of biodiverse beaches, woods, prairies, and marshes. Over 2 million visitors come to the Indiana Dunes each year.