The Dune Succession Trail at the Indiana Dunes National Park is one of three short trails which originate from the West Beach parking lot. All three trails; Dune Succession, Long Lake and West Beach can be done as one continuous circuit. Being right along the lake all three trails are composed of very loose sand. The Dune Succession trail runs through the youngest sand dunes right up to the beach. The young dunes are all loose sand and hiking even short distances can be surprisingly difficult, and going up a steep 50′ dune face is quite a workout. This particular trail however is mostly boardwalk, consisting of hundreds of steps it is more easily traversed and prevents erosion along what is a very heavily used trail. Since most of the trail is on an elevated boardwalk, there are not so many opportunities for close up shots of flora and fauna. The views however are pretty spectacular.
