Join the Harbor Country Hikers on a mid-July adventure at the Indiana Dunes Heron Rookery Trail. Pat Fisher (HCH President) will lead this simple out and back hike along a portion of the Little Calumet River. He will explain the importance of riparian zones, but our focus will be the hike and what we see along the way.

The Heron Rookery Trail follows along a portion of the Little Calumet River that once featured over 100 Great Blue Heron nests. After 60 years of nesting here, the herons have moved on to new nesting grounds. These woods remain alive with dozens of birds including kingfishers, woodpeckers and a wide variety of migrating and nesting warblers.

HCH has an All-Terrain Rollator which may be reserved for use on our hikes. Reservations are made on a first-come first-served basis by filling out the brief form at Request Rollator.

In the case of inclement weather, check back here or fb.com/harborcountryhikers the day of hike for cancellation/ rescheduling notice. Wear long pants (preferably tucked-in), a sun hat, sturdy shoes or boots and insect repellent and bring plenty of water. Depending on the weather, there may be some muddy areas.

• Theme: The Little Cal

• Venue: Indiana Dunes Heron Rookery Trail

• When: Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 10am EDT

• Estimated Presentation Time: 10 minutes

• Hike Leader: Pat Fisher, President HCH

• Estimated Time: 2.25 hours

• Hiking Distance: 3.3 miles

• Physical Difficulty: Easy, flat packed dirt surface, slippery when wet

• Location: 1336 600 East, Michigan City, IN 46360

• Directions: From US-20 just west of Michigan City, head south on County Line Road for 3.3 miles, head west on 1500 N for 1 mile, head south on 600 E for 1.6 miles. Watch for the parking lot on the right just past the river.

• Parking GPS: 41.626963, -86.951983 (DD) — Google Map provided below.