The Moraine Region
Picture a bulldozer. Then picture one that's a mile high and as wide as your eyes can see. That's a lot of earth-moving power, and that was the power of the Wisconsin Glacier as it pushed slowly south, reaching as far as central Indiana. The enormous glacier gathered immense amounts of debris—from sand to giant boulders—as it scraped over the land. As the climate warmed about 16,000 years ago, the glacier melted back to the north, dropping its debris as it retreated.
In the Moraine Region of the Beyond the Beach Discovery Trail, you'll see plenty of evidence of that glacial debris in the form of rolling hills—what scientists call glacial moraines. Glaciation shaped the entire landscape you'll see as you explore here—from Pinhook Bog, which formed from a glacial ice chunk left behind by the retreating glacier, to Taltree Arboretum & Gardens, perched atop the Valparaiso Moraine, with its 300 acres of woody plant collections, formal gardens, wetlands, woodlands, and restored prairies.
In the Moraine Region of the Beyond the Beach Discovery Trail, you'll find 17 great sites to explore. Read about them here. For the Moraine Region itinerary suggestions, click here.