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The newest section of Indiana Dunes National Park is the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk in Portage, Indiana. It opened in October 2008 and is a popular place to spot migrating birds.
History
The area is a reclaimed natural habitat that was once a toxic waste dump for a steel mill. 57 acres of dunes and lagoons had to be cleaned before the site was added to the national park. Now, it’s a successful example of brownfield reclamation. The photo below shows what used to be an acid pond at the bottom of a blowout.
Lakefront
The small lakefront features one of the most popular beaches at Indiana Dunes National Park. Next door to the beach, you can also see some of the most beautiful homes on Lake Michigan. They’re located in Ogden Dunes, which is a small lakefront town.
At the entrance to the beach is the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Pavilion. It contains 3,500 ft² of classroom and meeting space as well as a seasonal snack bar and bathroom facilities.
Riverwalk
An easy 0.9 mile loop trail is located at the site. Much of it is accessible. The first half of the trail takes visitors through the former waste dump, allowing a firsthand look at how the dunes have been reclaimed.
It then crosses the road and heads back towards the lake on a riverwalk along the Burns Waterway.
The Burns Waterway is a canal dug to provide access to a small boat harbor about a mile south of the lake. Along the riverwalk, you can look down the canal towards the harbor. Across the waterway is a U.S. Steel plant.
Natural Beach
At the end of the riverwalk is a small section of beach set aside as a natural habitat. It also provides a nice look at the mouth of the Burns Waterway.
On this small section of beach you’ll notice a large amount of driftwood. This driftwood naturally washes up on the beach and provides shelter for small animals. It also enriches the soil as it decays. There were plenty of ducks on the beach on the day I visited.
Fishing Pier
Finally, there’s an accessible fishing pier just downhill from the pavilion. At the end is a restored 900 foot breakwater.
