The Open Dunes

Rounding the turn from the last trail, we came upon the ridge of a tall dune. The view at this point is wide and deep, the dunes roll out in front of you to the horizon. It's this place we first spotted a tree we call the lonely tree; this tree is virtually in the middle of nowhere, and many years ago, we were determined to find a way to this tree. This is how we found this series of trails to explore.

From wooded dune to grassy, open fields, the trails here wind in and out of numerous features, each with their own beauty. From these vantage points, we can see multiple features at once.



Again the trail turns from open to wooded. These trees seem to mark the entrance to the next part of the environment.



We always need to remember to turn around and look at what we passed, and in this case we glanced back toward Lake Michigan, where the snow blanketed the dunes and provided a strong contrast to the dormant vegetation.