Last updated on December 20, 2023.

Cowles Bog is one of the most important areas of Indiana Dunes National Park. It’s located north of the Bailly Homestead and Chellberg Farm area.

 

History

Cowles Bog is where Henry C. Cowles did his pioneering work on plant ecology and succession in the late 1890s and early 1900s. It has such a great diversity of plants that it was named a National Natural Landmark in 1965 – a year before the park was established.

Natural National Landmark designation
Natural National Landmark designation

 

Cowles Bog Trail

A rugged 4.7 mile trail leads hikers through several different habitats, including marshes, swamps, black oak savannas, and a beach. It’s a good idea to take insect repellent because the biting flies are brutal!

There are trailheads at two different parking lots off Mineral Springs Road. They both run just under a mile to the main loop trail. I started from the north parking lot.

Hiking from the parking lot to the main loop
Hiking from the north parking lot to the main loop

 

Main Loop

When I got to the main loop, I took it counterclockwise, which is the recommended direction.It begins with a hike through a black oak savanna and between interdunal ponds.

Black oak savanna at Cowles Bog at Indiana Dunes National Park
Black oak savanna
Black oak savanna at Cowles Bog at Indiana Dunes National Park
Black oak savanna

Next is a steep climb up a dune. At the top there are spectacular views of Lake Michigan. On a clear day, you can see the Chicago skyline in the distance.

View from the top of the dune
View from the top of the dune
Chicago skyline at Cowles Bog at Indiana Dunes National Park
Chicago skyline

When you make it down to the beach, you can relax, have a snack, and maybe take a dip in the water. Chances are you’ll have the entire beach to yourself. The only thing to ruin the scenery is the steel mill just to the west.

Path down to the beach at Cowles Bog at Indiana Dunes National Park
Path down to the beach
Beach at Cowles Bog trail Indiana Dunes National Park
Beach
Beach
Beach
Marram grass growing behind the beach
Marram grass growing behind the beach

After I finished resting, I started hiking back up the dune and back through the black oak savanna. I eventually came to a wetland that gave Cowles Bog its name. It’s not, however, an actual bog. It’s a fen because it has an underground water source. The fen was formed over 8,000 years ago.

Cowles Bog trail Indiana Dunes National Park
Cowles Bog
Cowles Bog
Cowles Bog

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.