News From Indiana Dunes Blog

Bikes, brews, best stays, places to play, and so much more. Define your Dunes getaway for yourself with the help of our local stories.

Chatty Little Grasshopper Sparrows

Nature isn’t always what it seems —a chatty little grasshopper sparrow taught me that. For the first ten or so years that I worked at the Kankakee Sands Nursery, I was always looking down, either at the native plants that I was planting into the soil or at the seeds that I was harvesting for our…

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Monarchs: Crossing Those Lines

Monarchs: Crossing Those Lines by Alyssa Nyberg This past September upwards of 2,000 monarchs congregated on the oak trees growing atop the dunes at the Bison Viewing Area. The monarchs roosted in the trees for several days before they continued on their long journey to their overwintering location…

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Long-legged Leapers of the Kankakee Sands Prairie

Northern leopard frogs are fast, real fast! They aren’t called leopard frogs for nothin’. They are the long-legged leapers of our Kankakee Sands prairie, and catching one is not only thrilling but hard to do! On a sunny November day, I had the good fortune of finding a northern leopard frog ( Rana…

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Is That a Viceroy or a Monarch?

Is That a Viceroy or a Monarch? By Alyssa Nyberg In early September, our Kankakee Sand prairies are aflutter with orange on yellow, white and purple. Monarch and viceroy butterflies are nectaring on goldenrods, bonesets, and ironweed, and it is one of the prettiest sights to be seen! Both the…

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The Upside-Down Bird With the Strange Song

The Upside-Down Bird With the Strange Song By: Alyssa Nyberg If you think saying the word “bobolink” is fun, you’d be right! Even more fun is seeing the bird itself. It’s the male bobolink ( Dolichonyx oryzivorus ) that will turn your mind upside down. Many birds, such as bluebirds or chickadees, are…

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Sedges Are a Buffet for Bison in the Indiana Dunes

Sedges Are a Buffet for Bison in the Indiana Dunes By Alyssa Nyberg This July we will be busy with harvesting hundreds of pounds of sedge seeds to include in this year’s prairie planting at Kankakee Sands. We will be harvesting twelve different sedges, each one so unique, and really quite lovely…

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Spring House Inn: A Woodsy Staycation Retreat

When the leaves turn and the temperatures cool, there's nothing like getting away with your loved ones to a serene, woodsy retreat. Start your Indiana Dunes adventure at Spring House Inn, where you’ll be within minutes of some of the best beaches, hiking, dining, shopping, and interesting historic…

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Top Ways to Go Beyond the Beach this Year

Have you set a New Year’s resolution to try something new this year? Or perhaps you’re reading this in June and laughing at the thought of keeping your resolutions but still ready to get outdoors? We have seven awesome ways to go beyond the beach in the Indiana Dunes area. So shake off the sand and…

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Your Need-to-Know Info for Visiting Art Barn

By now I’ve written enough blog posts here at the tourism offices that my bosses might be catching on: when there’s a chance to get out of the office - I take it! This week, I journeyed to Art Barn, a peaceful art studio located halfway between Chesterton and Valparaiso. Here’s what you should know…

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Indiana Dunes and Local Parks

We know; most visitors come to the Indiana Dunes for the big parks. And it's true that the Indiana Dunes State Park and the Indiana Dunes National Park are fantastic. But did you know that beyond the beaches lie some amazing local parks that have plenty of opportunities for adventure? Sunset Hill…

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