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The Great Marsh Trail at Indiana Dunes National Park gives hikers views of the largest wetland complex in the Lake Michigan watershed. It’s located in Beverly Shores.
Great Marsh Trail
The trail is about 1 ¼ miles long and is very flat and easy. There are two parking lots, each with a trailhead. The trail from the south lot leads north to a T-junction while the trail from the north lot is accessible and leads directly to the observation deck (see below). I parked at the south lot and hiked to the T-junction, admiring some of the scenery along the way.
Once you reach the T-junction from the south lot, if you turn right, there’s a short ½ mile loop trail through the marsh. You can get a good look at some of the plant life in the area.
Observation Deck
Turning left at the T-junction takes you to the most popular section of the trail. It’s an accessible section that leads to an observation deck of the Great Marsh.
Much of the marsh was drained in the early 1900s for residential and agricultural use. The National Park Service began restoring the small portion around the trail in 1998. It’s now a healthy wetland providing shelter to a wide variety of plants and animals. The fens, sedge meadows, and wet prairies are also naturally filtering the water and improving the area’s water quality.
The marsh is an area popular with migrating birds, making it a great place for birdwatching. It’s possible to spot egrets, great blue herons, sandhill cranes, kingfishers, warblers, mallards, blackbirds, swallows, and geese from the observation deck.
Nearby
You can combine a hike at the Great Marsh Trail with another hike at Dune Ridge Trail. The Dune Ridge Trail offers amazing views of the marsh from a higher elevation. You can also visit one of the great beaches just to the north, and check out the Century of Progress Homes.
