What Is It
The Tolleston Dunes trail is one of my favorites in the Indiana Dunes National Park. The trail passes through wetlands and black oak savannah.
It has ample parking and I have never seen it full. There is a short loop about 1.5 miles in length and a longer loop which is a little over 3 miles long. Much of the trail runs along the top of dune ridges, some of which have steep elevation changes through soft sand which makes for a nice workout in a manageable day hike.
Why I Like It
This trail pretty much sticks to Black Oak forested dunes and savannah. It has an abundant variety of wild flowers and with all of the dead wood on the ground it is a great trail for Fungi and Lichens when conditions are right. The long straight stretch of trail from the parking lot to the first dune ridge is mostly open terrain, and in cooler weather I have often come across snakes stretched out on the trail to catch the warmth of the sun. There is also a very interesting “Easter Egg” at the base of one of the dune ridges. The very weathered remains of an old automobile just sitting out in the middle of nowhere. Like much of the park, this area was reclaimed from other uses and at one time there was a trash dump in this location. Apparently the park service had the junk hauled away, all except for this one automobile. Why it was left seems to be a mystery as none of the park rangers I have asked know why it was not removed along with the rest.
Posts Featuring Tolleston Dunes
- Blues, Yellows, Whites and lots of Green
Tolleston Dunes in the IDNP is one of my favorite trails. It strikes a nice balance between the trails that line the lake front which… Read more: Blues, Yellows, Whites and lots of Green - Mellow Autumn
This Autumn has been atypically warm and dry. It is well into November and daytime highs are still in the 50’s. Rain has been almost… Read more: Mellow Autumn - Changes Are Beginning…
Early October and the weather is taking a turn for the better, with the promise of winter to come. Pleasantly cool and virtually no mosquitos… Read more: Changes Are Beginning… - Nature Is Brutal
Have you ever had the experience of noticing something for the first time, and then seeing it everywhere as if it had never been there… Read more: Nature Is Brutal - Favorites From 2022
From Jan 2 through Dec 29 this year I made 45 trips to the Indiana Dunes National Park, hiked 141 miles of trails and took… Read more: Favorites From 2022 - Last Hike Of 2022?
Dec 29, possibly my last hike of the year? If so it was a good day to go out. Temps in the upper 40’s had… Read more: Last Hike Of 2022? - FuzzballsThere’s lots of white, cottony bits of fluff floating around the park these days. All those seeds being carried by the wind.
- Birdsfoot and Wood Betony
Two of my favorites this time of year are Birdsfoot Violet and Wood Betony. Both were in fine form along the Tolleston Dunes trail. - Boom!
And…. Boom, everything is green! I love the way it is almost like throwing a light switch in this area and what was just a… Read more: Boom! - Tolleston Trail 011422
The Tolleston Dunes trail has maintained a good diversity of fungi and lichens into winter. We’ve had some snow, but not yet enough to bury… Read more: Tolleston Trail 011422 - Early December Favorites
Some of my favorite pics from the first two weeks of December. So far this month I’ve visited the Tolleston Dunes, West Beach, Long Lake… Read more: Early December Favorites - Polypores – Both Sides
While hiking along the Tolleston Dunes trail I came across some rather plain looking Bracket Fungi. However the fact that they were growing on smaller… Read more: Polypores – Both Sides