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George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
Address: 401 S Second St
Vincennes, IN 47591
Phone: 812-882-1776
Fax: 812-882-7270
Overview. One of George Rogers Clark's more well-known victories against the British during the Revolutionary War took place here at the former site of Fort Sackville. As historical accounts indicate, Clark and his 175 men fooled British forces into thinking they were outnumbered by shooting off extra rounds of ammunition and making a lot of noise. The Americans won the battle and the British retreated and eventually ceded territory that encompassed most of the modern-day Midwest. Clark's other victories against the British were won in territories extending from Ohio to Illinois. His campaign proved to be a decisive one during the American Revolution. George Rogers Clark is not the only member of his family to go down in history. His brother William Clark, together with partner Meriwether Lewis, led the Lewis and Clark expedition team that mapped out territory in the Northwest and along the Pacific Ocean. The granite, marble, and limestone memorial to George Rogers Clark is the focal point of the 26-acre park. Inside, massive murals depict his military activities. Beautifully landscaped gardens provide a pastrol setting for the memorial. What to see and do. Start your tour at the visitor center, which offers interpretive exhibits and a film about Clark's capture of Fort Sackville. You can take a self-guided tour of the site. Staff members are on hand to answer questions. During the summer months, weapon demonstrations and living history presentations are offered. On Memorial Day weekend each year, volunteers dressed in period costume re-create trapper and trader exchanges during the Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous. The park is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. It closes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day, and is subject to unscheduled closings in severe winter weather. Take US 50 to the 6th Street exit, or US 41 to the exit at Willow Street. Fees: A nominal entrance fee is charged for those aged 17 and older.
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Address: 1100 N Mineral Springs Rd
Porter, IN 46304-1299
Phone: 219-926-7561
Fax: 219-926-7561
Overview. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore comprises the southern coast of Lake Michigan, an area characterized by a unique assortment of wide beaches and lofty sand dunes. The Lakeshore's 15,000 acres feature a staggering range of ecosystems with a variety of plant and animal life; shore, dunes, forest, prairie, marsh, and bog can all be found. The unusually diverse and beautiful habitats here inspired Henry Cowles to develop the science of ecology.
Two visitor centers can acquaint you with the ecological diversity and vast recreational opportunities in the Dunes. Rangers at the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center can help you plan your visit according to your interests and time constraints. Exhibits, a slide presentation, and guides for a number of trails are available. The second visitor center is at the Bailly-Chellberg historic area, which is comprised of two settlements. Chellberg is a turn-of-the-century Swedish immigrant farmstead and a living history site. Bailly is the restored 1820 homestead of a French Canadian fur trader. On weekends there are often living history demonstrations (call for details). A third resource in the area is the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education, which offers programs for schools and other groups.
What to see and do.
Hiking and dune climbing are favorite visitor pastimes. One of the most popular sites is Mount Baldy, an enormous shifting sand dune over a hundred feet high. From its summit, climbers are rewarded with panoramic views of Lake Michigan and its shoreline for miles. From here you can really see the creep of dune succession, with sand ridges encroaching on the surrounding forest.
The area contains many hiking trails, including the Little Calumet Trail (approximately three miles long). Traces of the Old Sauk Trail can also be found; this trail was used for centuries by Potowatami Indians and early settlers. Cowles Bog, a National Natural Landmark, has a trail that incorporates elements of several ecosystems.
Pinhook Bog, an extremely delicate ecosystem, can only be accessed by special permit. The spongy surface of this bog is rich in tannic acid and harbors orchids, insect-eating pitcher plants and other rare flora. In autumn, the bog's sumac trees turn the view to a vivid red.
Inland from the dunes, the prairie yields wildflowers ranging from lupines and wild roses to prickly pear cactus. Numerous bird species converge on the area as they migrate along the north-south flyway that passes nearby. Blue heron frequent the marshes and wildlife watchers regularly spot deer and snapping turtles.
Lifeguards are on duty during the summer at West Beach (Kemil and Porter Beaches are not staffed). Swimmers are warned that north winds can create hazardous rip currents along West Beach; be sure to heed all warnings. Fishing is allowed with a valid Indiana permit.
Dunewood Campground offers sites on a first-come, first-served basis from April 1 to October 31; there are no hookups. Camping spaces can be reserved at Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton (219-926-4520). Lodging is readily available in the nearby communities of Michigan City, Pines, Chesterton, Porter, and Gary.
Visit in March and you can take part in the Maple Sugar Festival at the Bailly homestead and Chellberg farm, or stop by in September and experience the Duneland Harvest Festival. Winter visitors will find the Ly-co-ki-we Trail ready for cross-country skiing. The Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center, located on Kemil Road between Routes 12 and 20, is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Summer hours are 8am to 6pm. The center is open until 5pm the remainder of the year.
Pets: Leashed pets are permitted with restrictions.
Restrictions: Alcohol is not permitted.
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Address: State Hwy 162 PO Box 1816
Lincoln City, IN 47552
Phone: 812-937-4541
Fax: 812-937-9929
Overview. When Abraham Lincoln was seven years old, his family moved from Kentucky to this site in southern Indiana, his home until he was 21. They lived in a log cabin which they carved from the wilderness. Abraham's father, Thomas, was a farmer and a carpenter. It was here that Lincoln mastered his lessons by candlelight; and it was here that he lost his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, when he was only nine years old. She is buried at the site, which is now set aside as a memorial to the boyhood of her famous and revered son. What to see and do. Learn about the pioneer history of the Indiana wilderness, and the life the Lincoln family led through the exhibits at the Memorial. A museum and two memorial halls commemorating both Lincoln and his mother are all part of the visitor center. You can watch "Here I Grew Up," a 24-minute film about Lincoln's boyhood in Indiana, and purchase books for further study at the center's bookstore. The Lincoln Boyhood Trail begins at the visitor center and leads past the grave of Lincoln's mother and the site of the original cabin to the Lincoln Living Historical Farm. Rangers in period costume demonstrate farm life of the 1820s at the re-created Indiana frontier homestead, complete with cabin, split rail fences, gardens, field crops, and farm animals. From the farm, the Trail of the Twelve Stones leads back to the grave site and the visitor center. The two trails together form a loop approximately a mile in length. A third trail, the Lincoln Boyhood Nature Trail, loops for a mile through a restored forest. The Memorial holds several celebrations annually. Lincoln Day celebrates our sixteenth president's birthday and is held on the Sunday closest to February 12. Visit in October, and you may catch the fall special event with its pioneer crafts demonstrations and special programs. In early December, The Memorial presents "December Holidays" with decorations and seasonal music. The visitor center is open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Living History Farm operates daily from mid-April through September. It is not staffed from late October to the middle of April, but you are welcome to walk around the grounds and explore on your own. The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is one of the stops along the Lincoln Heritage Trail, an auto route that links sites important to Lincoln's history in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois.
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