1966 Hiking Challenge: Tolleston Dunes

Wind your way around wetlands and over sand hills on the Tolleston Dunes Trail. Dappled sunlight creates a mesmerizing dance of light and shadow as it filters through the canopy of scattered oaks. Teeming with life, moist marshes hold twilight performances of frog choirs as bats flutter above for a meal on the fly. Meadows and hillsides flaunt flowers amid varying textures of green. Bathed in a powdery pink tone, the pasture rose captivates with its delicate petals and dreamy scent. Later in the season, vibrant purple flashes of whimsical blazing star beckon butterflies to their sweet nectar.

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 Tolleston Dunes Trail parking lot and was scheduled for Saturday, June 8th 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 the Tolleston Dunes Trail 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
Main Lot: 5800 U.S. Highway 12 (Dunes Highway), Ogden Dunes, IN 46368

Trailhead GPS Coordinates
Main: 41.615056, -87.192889 (Decimal Degrees)

Need to Know

• Hours – Open daily from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm.
• Passes are required.
• Hike Length – 2.9 miles (to the beach and back)
• Hike Time – 1.5 hours.
• Difficulty – Moderate; rolling topography.
• Trail Surface – Packed dirt with some sections of loose sand. Be aware, trail conditions can change quickly due to high lake levels and storms.
• Facilities – No restrooms or potable water avaiable at parking lot
• Pets – Permitted on a leash (6' or shorter).
• Prohibited – Littering and hunting.
• Prohibited – Bicycles and motorized vehicles.
• Prohibited – Removing plants, rocks, shells, and fossils.
• Prohibited – Glass and fires on the beach.
• Parking lot is paved and large enough for RVs and buses.

 

Hike the outter loop of the trail.