Basic Information
The Miller Woods Trail along with the Paul Douglas Nature Center sits at the far western end of the IDNP. There is a nice size parking lot and facilities in the nature center.
The main trail, shown in yellow, is about 3 miles round trip from the nature center to the lake Michigan Shore and back. This is one of the most diverse trails in the park, passing through several distinct ecosystems including Black Oak forested dunes, numerous small inner dunal wetlands, lagoons, young foredunes and beach.
The trail can also be done as a shorter loop around the wetlands near the nature center and there is handicap accessible which is shown in orange.
There is also an abandoned rail line, shown in blue, which can be followed all the way to the edge of the US Steel Gary Works.
Why I like It
This is absolutely one of my favorite trails in the park. It is fascinating to be able to traverse several distinct habitats and observe how both the land and fauna change as you make your way to the beach. The Lupine blooms in spring are stunning as are the fall colors at the other end of summer. The trail itself is soft sand which has the advantage of draining very well so it is an excellent choice in wet conditions. However hiking in soft sand, particularly up and down the dune ridges can be more strenuous than you might expect.
Posts Featuring Miller Woods
- Lush!
Last year we had a very dry spring, and that had a noticeable impact on the park. Water levels were… Read more: Lush! - Who Likes Poison Ivy?
I do, I like Poison Ivy. It really is an attractive plant, just don’t come into contact with it. When… Read more: Who Likes Poison Ivy? - Miller Woods 041324
Spent some time out on the Miller Woods trail in the Indiana Dunes National Park this weekend. It was the… Read more: Miller Woods 041324 - Extreme Cold Weather Photography – Why
This is the first post in a series on how to “do” nature photography in extreme cold weather. Or actually… Read more: Extreme Cold Weather Photography – Why - Minus 8, Plus 41
It took until mid-Janurary but we finally have some decent winterish weather. While I was disappointed to see the big… Read more: Minus 8, Plus 41 - First Snowy Hike Of 2023
Soon as I saw snow flurries in the forecast for the end of Thanksgiving weekend I knew where I would… Read more: First Snowy Hike Of 2023 - Hike 141 – The Details
Hike 141 refers to the fact that my recent hike at Miller Woods was my 141st trip to the Indiana… Read more: Hike 141 – The Details - Hike 141 – Miller Woods Trail pt1.
The Miller Woods trail is one of my favorites, I have hiked it 27 times in the last two and… Read more: Hike 141 – Miller Woods Trail pt1. - Hike 141 – Miller Woods Trail pt2.
This is the second of three posts illustrating my hike along the Miller Woods trail in the Indiana Dunes National… Read more: Hike 141 – Miller Woods Trail pt2. - Hike 141 – Miller Woods Trail pt3.
The last of a three post series illustrating three distinct ecosystems which one travels through on the Miller Woods trail… Read more: Hike 141 – Miller Woods Trail pt3. - Rain Rain, Don’t Go Away
Why would anyone want to go out hiking in pleasant, warm sunny weather is beyond me! Soooo much more interesting… Read more: Rain Rain, Don’t Go Away - Looking Down Perspective
How often do you take photographs with the camera pointed straight down at the ground? I do it all the… Read more: Looking Down Perspective - Two Trails
Early spring along the southern shore of Lake Michigan can be cool and rainy well into June. Leaves typically don’t… Read more: Two Trails - A Lichen & Moss Kinda Day
I’d been waiting for a nice cool and wet weekend to go out and photograph some lichens and mosses. The… Read more: A Lichen & Moss Kinda Day - Favorites From 2022
From Jan 2 through Dec 29 this year I made 45 trips to the Indiana Dunes National Park, hiked 141… Read more: Favorites From 2022 - Christmas Eve Hike
It is Christmas Eve day and the weather was 5 degrees with 35 mph winds. Perfect day for a hike. … Read more: Christmas Eve Hike - Chilly Day Hike
Unlike many people in the area, I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of more wintery weather. Today we had… Read more: Chilly Day Hike - What To Do On A Rainy Day…
Yesterday the forecast was for solid rain all morning and at least through 1pm followed by windy, overcast, 50 degrees… Read more: What To Do On A Rainy Day… - Miller Woods 011722
One of the things I like about the Miller Woods trail is that it is the easiest one to get… Read more: Miller Woods 011722 - Christmas Eve 2021Christmas Eve 2021 was very quiet and low key for us. So I decided to go out to Miller Woods… Read more: Christmas Eve 2021
- Miller Woods Early Summer – Pt4… continued from Pt3. These Six Lined Racerunners are common throughout the Dunes area. They are really difficult to… Read more: Miller Woods Early Summer – Pt4
- Miller Woods Early Summer – Pt3… continued from Pt2. Every direction you look is full of natural beauty. You would never realize that just… Read more: Miller Woods Early Summer – Pt3
- Miller Woods Early Summer – Pt2… continued from Pt1. It was a bright sunny day with little wind. Perfect conditions to entice my wife to… Read more: Miller Woods Early Summer – Pt2
- Miller Woods Early Summer – Pt1By the beginning of summer Miller Woods was vibrant and the wild flowers were on display. Everything was beautifully green… Read more: Miller Woods Early Summer – Pt1
- Miller Woods Late Spring – Pt4… continued from Pt3. Apparently the wildfire was either contained or burnt itself out before reaching the bridge marking the… Read more: Miller Woods Late Spring – Pt4
- Miller Woods Late Spring – Pt3… continued from Pt2. Almost everywhere I looked there were Lupine. Here another Carolina Puccoon is about to blossom and… Read more: Miller Woods Late Spring – Pt3
- Miller Woods Late Spring – Pt2… continued from Pt1. Continuing along the trail both fire and recovery abound. Another example of the rush of spring… Read more: Miller Woods Late Spring – Pt2
- Miller Woods Late Spring – Pt1My second visit to the Miller Woods trail in the Indiana Dunes National Park came in late spring, about a… Read more: Miller Woods Late Spring – Pt1
- Miller Woods Early Spring – Pt4… continued from Pt3. The hike back from the beach covered the same ground as on the way out. But… Read more: Miller Woods Early Spring – Pt4
- Miller Woods Early Spring – Pt3… continued from Pt2. Once past the bridge the trail follows the shoreline of a small lake, hugging the steep… Read more: Miller Woods Early Spring – Pt3
- Miller Woods Early Spring – Pt2… continued from Pt1. In early March the landscape was predominantly colored in neutral earth tones, umbers and siennas both… Read more: Miller Woods Early Spring – Pt2
- Miller Woods Early Spring – Pt1First time I hiked the Miller Woods trail was on March 26, 2021. It was a windy, cold spring day. … Read more: Miller Woods Early Spring – Pt1
- Cool, wet and windy… pt. 2… Continued from Cool, wet and windy… pt. 1 The day was so beautiful I decided to drive over… Read more: Cool, wet and windy… pt. 2
- From Fire to DroughtThis series of images show the same location along the Miller Woods trail from approximately the same view point. They… Read more: From Fire to Drought