This Fall season was relatively warm and dry, so the thought was that the leaves would drop early and without much color. As it turns out, the color was great, it was just delayed a few weeks. Visiting the Chellberg Farm trails at the Indiana Dunes National Park has become a tradition in the Fall, and it never disappoints. This area has scores of maple and beech trees that turn golden in autumn, and the rolling landscape provides the perfect setting for a hike.
Boardwalks and stairs provide relatively easy access through the deep gullys of this area. Even in the rain, hikers can enjoy the landscape without too much mud or overflow of streams.
On the day of this hike the parking area was overflowing with cars, and the remote lot was being used. Surprisingly, these trails were almost empty; I wonder if visiters only knew about the short trail near the sugar shack and behind the farmhouse. Venturing past the barns and field, one finds the trail that wanders through these rolling, wooded dunes. There are a few trails that total about four miles (maybe more if you wander off toward other parts of the park), but this trail is about a mile loop. It's well worth exploring any time of year, but especially in the Fall.
No comments:
Post a Comment