1966 Hiking Challenge: Hobart Woodland Trail

The Hobart Prairie Grove preserves several habitats including wetlands, prairie remnants, white oak flatlands, and a rare bur oak savanna. At about 300 acres in size, it contains 343 native plants and an abundance of wildlife. This area is also noteworthy because of a unique soil that is made up of at least 70 percent silt and clay with the smaller portions of sand. This type of soil is one of the reasons for the outstanding diversity of life here at Hobart Prairie Grove. This very special place was added to the National Park System as part of a 1992 expansion of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (renamed the Indiana Dunes National Park in 2019).

The 1966 Hiking Challenge is comprised of 19 hikes that cover 66 miles of trail in the park- celebrating the park’s founding in 1966. The ranger-led hike for this trail met at the Robinson Lake parking lot and was scheduled for Saturday, August 10th at 8:00 AM. Do not worry if you cannot make each of the 19 ranger-led hikes. A check-off sheet will be available at the Visitor Center or the the Paul H. Douglas Center for those who complete the hikes on their own.

REMINDER: Information found on this page is specific to the 1966 Hiking Challenge

• Please visit Hobart Prairie Grove Trails to access general information about this trail

• Please visit Hiking at Indiana Dunes National Park for general information and maps of all of the park's hiking trails.

BE PREPARED

• Please visit Trail Safety for tips and reminders to ensure your adventure is both safe and enjoyable
• Ranger-led hikes occur rain or shine and are only canceled in inclement weather such as high winds or thunderstorms when conditions are unsafe

Getting There

Trailhead Parking Lots
Robinson Lake Park, 5227 South Liverpool Road, Hobart, IN 46342

Trailhead GPS Coordinates
41.523898, -87.307101 (Decimal Degrees)

Need to Know

• Hours – Open daily from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm.
• Passes are required.
• Hike Length – 2.2 miles
• Hike Time – 1.5 hours.
• Difficulty – Easy; rolling topography with increasing elevation change nearer Lake Michigan.
• Trail Surface – Packed dirt and clay. Trail can be very wet and muddy.
• Facilities – No restrooms or potable water.
• Pets – Permitted on a leash (6' or shorter).
• Prohibited – Littering and hunting.
• Prohibited – Bicycles, ATVs, and other motorized vehicles.
• Prohibited – Removing plants, rocks, shells, and fossils.
• Prohibited – Fires.
• Parking lot is paved.

 

Start at Robinson Lake parking lot on the Oak Savannah trail to the Hobart Woodland trail to Lake George and back.