Near Chesterton in Porter County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Dunes Nature Preserve

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, March 9, 2025

1. Dunes Nature Preserve Marker

Inscription. Dunes Nature Preserve
has been designated a

Registered Natural Landmark

This site possesses exceptional value as an illustration of the nation's natural heritage and contributes to a better understanding of man's environment

1975
National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior

Erected 1975 by National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the National Natural Landmarks series list.

Location. 41° 39.445′ N, 87° 2.886′ W. Marker is near Chesterton, Indiana, in Porter County. It is on Trail 8, on the right when traveling north. This marker is just to the east of Trail 8 at the trailhead off of the Wilson Shelter parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1600 North 25 East, Chesterton IN 46304, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northwest Indiana,

specifically on the Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan Shore,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

and in the Calumet Region.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: "Works of a Public Nature" (within shouting distance of this marker); The Prairie Club Fountain (approx. 0.2 miles away); Civilian Conservation Corps Flagpole (approx. 0.2 miles away); Mt. Tom: A View of Ancient Shorelines (approx. half a mile away); Indiana State Parks: the First 100 Years 1916-2016 (approx. 0.7 miles away); Le Petit Fort (approx. 0.8 miles away); Daylighting: Getting Dunes Creek Out of the Pipe (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Wreck of the J.D. Marshall (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chesterton.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The J.D. Marshall (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been permanently removed).

Regarding Dunes Nature Preserve. The

Dunes Nature Preserve Marker next to the Trail 8 boardwalk image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, March 9, 2025

2. Dunes Nature Preserve Marker next to the Trail 8 boardwalk

Dunes Nature Preserve comprises 70% of Indiana Dunes State Park and contains the park's best natural features, such as Mt. Tom, the tallest dune in either the state or the national park, Beach House Blowout, Furnessville Blowout, Big Blowout, the Great Marsh, the Tree Graveyard, the Pinery, and Paradise Valley.

Also see . . .
1. Dunes Nature Preserve. Indiana Department of Natural Resources description of the Dunes Nature Preserve

Strong winds from the north and west have sculptured a nationally famous dunescape along the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan. It is fortunate that a significant part of this geological phenomenon still remains in the Indiana Dunes State Park. Dunes Nature Preserve protects the best natural features of the park.

(Submitted on March 13, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana.)

2. National Natural Landmarks: Dunes Nature Preserve.

The Dunes Nature Preserve, located within Indiana Dunes State Park, is the best remaining example of undeveloped and relatively unspoiled dune landscape along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, a portion of which is known as the "Birthplace of American
Photographed by Daniel Barriball, June 12, 2016

3. Beach House Blowout, one of the natural features within the Dunes Nature Preserve
Ecology." The site also contains the Ancient Pines Nature Area, a prehistoric forest now exposed by dune blowouts.

(Submitted on March 13, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana.)

3. Indiana Dunes State Park. Official website with park descriptions, maps, and other information (Submitted on March 13, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 13, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. This page has been viewed 159 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 13, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.