BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.8//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:42479@panoramanow.com DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260425T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260425T100000 DTSTAMP:20260330T194537Z URL:https://panoramanow.com/events/project-1966-indiana-dunes-hiking-chall enge-heron-rookery/ SUMMARY:Project 1966 - Indiana Dunes Hiking Challenge\, Heron Rookery DESCRIPTION:\n\nHike all of the trails in the Indiana Dunes National Park b y taking the "Project 1966 Hiking Challenge"! Join a ranger as they hike a ll of the trails in the Indiana Dunes National Park. The first hike challe nge of 2026 “Kicks-off” from the Heron Rookery east Parking Lot.\n\n\n \n\nThe Heron Rookery Trail takes you beneath towering oak\, maple\, tulip and sycamore trees of the river’s rich floodplain. Renowned for its div ersity of springtime plants\, the first flowers appear in March alongside the last lumps of snow. Later into spring\, the ground is blanketed in pet als of all shapes and colors.\n\n\n\n\nThe hiking challenges will take pla ce over the course of the summer with each week featuring a new trail. The re will be a total of 19 hikes covering 66 miles to honor the year the par k was established. Can’t make them all? Look on Indiana Dunes National P ark's website (www.nps.gov/thingstodo/1966-hiking-challenge.htm) for a lin k to Project 1966.\n\n\n\n\nFor information\, please call the Indiana Dune s Visitor Center at (219) 395-1882 or check the Indiana Dunes National Par k Facebook page.\n\nMORE RELATED ARTICLES . . .\n\n \;\n\nHiking in No rthwest Indiana\n\n\n \;  \;  \;Many of us take refuge out of doors\, and find hope and inspiration in the splendor of nature by admirin g spring flowers and wildlife from our windows (or computers).  \;\n\n Our natural world unceasingly supports and inspires us when we need it mos t. Will you now help us support our natural world?\nCONTINUE READING . . . \n\n\nWest Beach Trail is a Fascinating Part of the 1966 Hiking Challenge\ n \;  \;  \;West Beach Trails – one of the 1966 Hiking Chall enge at West Beach is a combination of three trails\, that demonstrate the fascinating process of dune and plant succession\, from the bare sand bea ch to the wooded dunes. The hike was 3.7 miles long and had several climbs and descents in elevation.  \;…\nContinue Reading →\n\nIndiana Du ne’s Mount Baldy Closed Thru Mid – June 2026\n \;  \;  \;T he Mount Baldy Access Site will be closed from late March to mid-June 2026 as the Indiana Dunes National Park Service undertakes a key project to ma nage sand movement and stabilize the shoreline. Over the years\, windblown sand has covered parts of the parking area and sanitation facilities. Thi s effort is designed to…\nContinue Reading →\n \;\n\nThere’s Sti ll Time to Hike the 1966 Challenge at Indiana Dunes!\n \;  \; &nbs p\;Join a ranger and hike all the trails in Indiana Dunes National Park. T his hiking challenge will take place over the course of the summer with ea ch week featuring a ranger-led hike on a different trail. There will be a total of \;19 hikes covering 66 miles \;to honor the year\, 1966\, when the park…\nContinue Reading →\n \;\n\nMount Baldy is No Long er Bald\nStory by Friends of Indiana Dunes Mount Baldy is a 126-foot-tall sand dune located at the southern tip of Lake Michigan\, lying near the ea stern end of Indiana Dunes National Park and just west of Crescent Dune . This parabolic dune began forming some 4\,000 years ago and is continually changing because of natural and…\nContinue Reading →\n\n\n\n\n\nEPA t o Spend 200 Million Dollars to Clean Up Grand Calumet River\n \;   \;  \;While long-term dredging in the Indiana Harbor Canal (Phase 2) b egan in 2021\, new major cleanup projects for both the Indiana Harbor and the Grand Calumet River are set to begin in late 2026\, following a 2026 E PA announcement of over $200 million for sediment remediation and restorat ion to remove pollutants. (More info…\nContinue Reading →\n\n \;\n \n\nHobart Marsh Plan by the IDEM and Lake Michigan Costal Program\n \ ;  \;  \;During our research on the effect of the Hobart Data Cent er on the environment\, we found the Hobart Marsh Plan document worth look ing into. This 21 page document was published in 2016\, further emphasizes the importance of the Hobart Marsh Ecological importance. The area locati on is bounded by Interstate 65 to the west\;…\nContinue Reading →\n&nb sp\;\n\n\nNew Report Published about the Effects of Data Centers On the Gr eat Lakes\n \;  \;  \;The Hobart Indiana Data Center is locate d closer to Lake Michigan than most folks realize. It’s actually 12 mile s as the crow flies\, and 16 miles using a 100% waterway\, from Deep River (Hobart) to Lake Michigan. The effect of Data Centers on the Great Lakes is an important issue that should be…\nContinue Reading →\n \;\n\n  \;\n\n\nStudies Say the Bird Population will Die On Lake George (Hoba rt) with Data Center Operations\n \;  \;  \;Lake George\, in H obart Indiana\, is a vibrant stopover and a winter haven for a diverse arr ay of water birds\, from the year-round mute swans (your ~5 residents) to the seasonal influx of 36 plus trumpeter swans in winter. Sandhill cranes forage in the nearby fields and lake shallows and there’s an ever-presen t…\nContinue Reading →\n\nProven Documentation that Data Centers Damag e Wetlands\n \; \; \; \; The Deep River wetlands around Ho bart Indiana’s Deep River flows through Lake County Indiana towards Lake Michigan. Deep River wetlands refer not just to a single swamp or marsh\, but to a network of wetlands\, riparian corridors\, floodplains\, foreste d bottomlands\, marshes\, woodlands\, savannas\, lakes\, rivers\, ravines\ , bottomland forests and prairie habitats that are scattered…\nContinue Reading →\n\nIvanhoe South Nature Preserve Project Completed – Gary In diana\n—Shirley Heinze Land Trust invites the public to attend a ribbon- cutting ceremony beginning at 3 p.m. on Thursday\, October 30 at Ivanhoe S outh Nature Preserve\, located at 750 Colfax St\, Gary\, IN 46406.  \;  \;  \;This ceremony will celebrate the many partners and funders who contributed to the project. Attendees will see the new pavilion\,…\ nContinue Reading →\n\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://panoramanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/ 04/project-1966-hiking-challenge-indiana-dunes-national-park-heron-rookery .jpg CATEGORIES:Blog,Family fun,hike,Indiana Dunes,Kid Friendly,LaPorte County,LaPorteCountyLife,Michigan City,Parks & Recreation LOCATION:Heron Rookery\, 1336 North County Road 600E.\, Michigan City\, IN\ , 46360\, United States X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=1336 North County Road 600E .\, Michigan City\, IN\, 46360\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE= Heron Rookery:geo:0,0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR