The Geological Story of Cowles Bog
Like the rest of the Indiana Dunes, Cowles Bog’s story traces back to the last ice age, when advancing and retreating glaciers carved the landscape and left behind the massive sand dunes and wetlands. In spite of its names, Cowles Bog is scientifically a fen. Bogs, like nearby Pinhook Bog in the Indiana Dunes, are wetlands nourished only by rain or snowfall, resulting in stagnant water that is highly acidic. A fen, on the other hand, is more basic (with a higher pH level) and is fed by fresh groundwater. The combination of the fen, surrounding marsh, and trees makes Cowles Bog what is known as a “swamp complex,” and a vital wildlife habitat.
Marvelous Plants of Cowles Bog
A stunning array of plant life thrives at Cowles Bog beneath the branches of the variety of trees growing here. Nestled among the ferns, one can find carnivorous plants like the pitcher plants and sun-dew plants growing in the water. One of the most distinctive inhabitants of the area is the appropriately named skunk cabbage. This amazing plant can trap the heat of the groundwater, allowing it to flower even in colder winter temperatures. Finding pollinators in these conditions can be difficult, and so the skunk cabbage produces an unpleasant odor that attracts flies mistakenly in search of a meal.
Of course, these odiferous plants share space with a number of beautiful and much more pleasant-smelling wildflowers, as well. Native plants like the joe-pye weed and the white astors also flourish in the dunes. Along with milkweed and butterfly weeds, the abundant flowers make Cowles Bog an attractive spot for butterflies.
Visitors to Cowles Bog will immediately notice the waving cattails surrounding the fen. While they may look beautiful, only one species is native, and the other that grows here is invasive. Volunteers and park rangers work tirelessly to remove and control them to preserve this habit for the other species that call Cowles Bog hime.
Beautiful Birds of Cowles Bog
Like many locations in the Indiana Dunes, Cowles Bog has been designated an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society. A number of beautiful birds and waterfowl can be found here, including the majestic sandhill crane and the Little Blue Heron. Among the reeds and cattails visitors can spot the American Bittern and marsh wren. The male marsh wren will build multiple nests that they may use throughout the year.
Cowles Bog is also an important habitat for the Virginia Rail, a marshbird considered endangered in the state of Indiana. These birds have a distinctive mating dance, complete with male displays of its wings and mutual bows back and forth.
Amazing Amphibians at Cowles Bog
The still waters and abundant plant life make Cowles Bog a perfect place for amphibians. The most distinctive resident is the four-toed salamander, which lays its eggs above the water on the thick stalks of grass and cattails. Unlike other salamanders living in Indiana, this is the only species that has just four toes on its back feet.
Noteworthy
A short distance from the trailhead, Cowles Bog trail features a lovely raised boardwalk that allows visitors to walk above this incredible wetland.
In the spring, watch for pairs of Sandhill Cranes raising their newborns in the marsh just off Mineral Springs Road to the east and west.
The northern edge of the trail from the Main Lot takes you by beaver lodges that are right off the trail in the wetland to the south. Watch for them about a mile from the Main Lot.
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Main Lot (north): 1450 North Mineral Springs Road, Dune Acres, IN 46304
Look for the gravel entrance road on the right just before the town guardhouse.
- Free to enter
- Open daily from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm
- 4.7 miles with loops for shorter routes
- Not wheelchair accessible
- No handicap parking
- No drinking fountains
- Porta-John available year round
Greenbelt Lot (south): 1184 North Mineral Springs Road, Dune Acres, IN 46304
Look for the entrance road on the left just after the railroad tracks.
- Free to enter
- Open daily from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm
- 4.7 miles with loops for shorter routes
- Not wheelchair accessible
- No handicap parking
- No drinking fountains
- Porta-John available year round