Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail

More than just a hiking trail, this interactive experience will create a place for visitors and locals to learn, play, touch, ponder, and become inspired. The new trail will weave the culture of the Miami and Potawatomi Indigenous Peoples with the natural ecology of the Indiana Dunes—one of the most biodiverse areas of the country.

Be a Part of the Vision

The engineering plans are complete and we are ready to build. We have secured a $200,000 match grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources – Lake Michigan Coastal Program and we are now raising the $200,000 in non-federal matching funds required for the grant.

Donate Today

Indiana Dunes Indigenous Tree Trail

A unique, arboretum-style tree tour with Indigenous translations has been created using the MapHub app. Visitors can discover the unique trees surrounding the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center while hiking along the Indigenous Cultural Trail.

Explore the Trail

ICT Kickoff event flag ceremony and song

Q&A about the Indigenous Cultural Trail

Read more about the Indigenous Cultural Trail in the interview with our Vice President.

ARCY Mural Art Walk

Known for his paint-splashed style of large-scale street art, ARCY visited the Indiana Dunes to spray paint murals for the Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail. The local indigenous plants and animals featured in the murals were chosen by the team due to their beauty, history in the area, and significance to the Miami and/or Potowatomi. View the timelapse video of the bobcat mural being created below.

A Vision for the Future

The proposed features for the first phase of the project include:

A low environmental impact boardwalk overlooking a naturalized section of Dunes Creek.
A large raised copper fire pit with a snuffer that will double as a table for educational programming.
A land acknowledgment honoring Indigenous cultures.
Interpretive signage, including a tree trail in three languages (Potawatomi, Miami, and English), exploring the significance of the natural resources within the Indigenous cultures.
Crosswalks designed using Indigenous designs that will connect the trail, the interpretive elements, and the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center.

Working Together

The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, Indiana Dunes Tourism, and the Indiana Dunes National Park have joined together to reenvision the land around the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center. The new trail will provide rich experiences and offer new perspectives of the Indigenous Peoples who have lived in this region for centuries. Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail programming and interpretive messaging will include themes such as water, seasons, sustainability, and plants.

Learn More

Three women site in front of a laptop on a table, smiling. Two people sit at an additional table in the background, near a fireplace.

Purple Flowers at Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail

Acknowledgment

Indiana Dunes Tourism and the National Park Service acknowledge with great respect that the Indiana Dunes are within the traditional lands of the Bodéwadmik/Potawatomi and Myaamia/Miami Peoples past and present. We honor with gratitude the land itself and the Indigenous Peoples who inhabited it throughout the generations. We are working in partnership to bring Indigenous voices to the forefront and to continue the tradition of caring for this land. As you walk along these trails, remember the ancestors – those who made this place their home and still have ties here.