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2019-09-09
Indiana Dunes, IN, Cuyahoga National Park, OH, PA

For my last day of the trip I woke up to the gentle sound of rain on the tent. It stopped after a bit and I got everything packed up and headed across to part of Indian Dunes National Park. The National Park completely encompasses the State Park, but it doesn't have a rich set of trails. I hiked a marsh trail for 1.5 miles. I did get to see one hawk but again only during his exit.

Next stop was the visitors center. Because the park transitioned from a National Lakeshore to a National Park just last year, they haven't gotten all the details updated. For example, there are a lot of signs for this area which all still say National Lakeshore and changing them will be a big budget item I'm sure. All but one sign that is: It's on a sawhorse outside the Visitors Center. While I may have invented taking sign pictures on my own, I've found that others have arrived at the same idea; it's immensely popular. Here they are catering to the masses.

They might as well have put holes for people to stick their faces through...

It turns out that Cuyahoga National Park in Ohio was only five miles off of the route home and roughly half way there, so I figured I'd stop for a 2.5 mile hike at The Ledges. I've done this loop before and really enjoyed it, and this time my photography focused more on textures than shapes. The land here has been shaped by a combination of glaciers and rivers on sedimentary bedrock left by ancient seas and streams.

You're not allowed to climb these boulders

Colors, textures, shapes - this wall has it all

Afterwards I made my way home. Ohio has once again sprouted a very large crop of orange barrels; the interstate there seems particularly fertile. In PA, a lot of the turnpike work happens after dark, which is when I came through. However, the traffic was light and I made good time despite all the one-lane sections.

Hiking distance: 4 miles