Taking advantage of March temperatures near 70 degrees, we decided to hike to a few places we haven't seen in a while, and one that was difficult to locate the last time we made the effort. Taking a little known trail, we were transported back in time to a place we used to visit frequently.
This area was much easier to access years ago when the roads were still in use, and trails at the foredune were still in place. Years of no maintenance on the roads (intentionally left alone by the park), and years of erosion by the waves of Lake Michigan, have all but eliminated the access to this area from the beach. It is, however, still accessible from the roads, but you can hardly tell where the roads once were with all of the overgrowth.
It is good to see the National Park is marking these trails for once - maybe the entry fee is really going toward expansion and upgrades. I mean, what was once an asphalt road with houses along it, really can't be ruined by visitors walking across it, they may as well mark it and allow hiking again.
When we would visit this area almost every weekend, the kids would love to climb on a particular tree to get a better view of the area. Careful not to walk on any of the Marram Grass or other plants, we'd make our way to the tree for a photo. Below are two of those photos, the first is from 2012, taken from a slightly different angle. The second is from 2010, taken from approximately the same angle as yesterday's photo. Things have really changed in the area. The park service has removed quite a bit of the invasive plants that were growing there. While it's best for the environment, I'm a bit disappointed at how bare things look today.
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