observation deck at sunset hill county park valparaiso indiana

New Observation Deck at Sunset Hill Park

     A new wetland observation deck at Sunset Hill Farm County Park is ready for visitors. Located on the northeast side of the pond, the viewing platform provides access for birdwatching and observing wetland wildlife. It will also serve as a place to provide educational programming about wetland plants and animals, which has become a popular topic of Porter County Parks programs since restoration of the pond began in 2014.

     The pond – named โ€œNo-Can-Do Pondโ€ – was dug in 1952 as a fire suppression resource for the original farm at Sunset Hill. No one was allowed to fish, swim or boat in the pond, which is where it earned its unusual name. But today the Porter County Parks Department continues to rehabilitate the once man-made pond into a native habitat.

     The installation of the new observation deck was made possible with help from other local organizations. โ€œThis area was overgrown and inaccessible just a couple of months ago,โ€ said Parks superintendent Walter Lenckos. โ€œThanks to volunteers from Lakeside Wealth Management at this yearโ€™s United Way Day of Caring, we were able to clear this entire section of land in only one morning.โ€ Funds for the project were provided by NIPSCO through the Parks Departmentโ€™s ongoing partnership with Porter County Parks Foundation. Volunteers from NIPSCO also completed a large part of the platformโ€™s construction in early September.

     Visitors can enjoy the observation deck from dawn to dusk at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, which is located at 775 Meridian Road, Valparaiso Indiana. Educators can also schedule a field trip for their students by calling the Porter County Parks naturalist office at 219-465-3641. More information about the Porter County Parks Department can be found at www.portercountyparks.org.

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Read More Of Our Birding Blogs:
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 โ€ข Birding in Miller Beach

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 โ€ข Northwest Indiana Birding Festival
 โ€ข Have Your Heard of Albino Birds?
 โ€ข Birding at Gibson Woods
 โ€ข Snowy Owl Saved at Whiting Parks
 โ€ข Bald Eagle Returns to the Calumet Region
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 โ€ข Snowy Owl Spotted
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โ€ข Hiking At Sunset Hill County park, Valparaiso
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Discover More About the Indiana Dunes:

 โ€ข Chesterton European Market
 โ€ข Century of Progress Tour
 โ€ข Things to Do in Michigan City
 โ€ข Dunes Learning Center
 โ€ข Chesterton Art Center
 โ€ข Things To Do in Chesterton
 โ€ข Indiana Dunes Becomes a National Park

 โ€ข Songbird Prairie Bed & Breakfast awarded โ€œBest Romantic Getawayโ€
 โ€ข Chautauqua in the Dunes
 โ€ข Lake Michigan Beaches
 โ€ข Free Beach Shuttles at Indiana Dunes
 โ€ข Birding Festival (May)
 โ€ข Maple Sugar Time (Early March)
 โ€ข Visit Mount Baldy
 โ€ข Outdoor Adventure Festival (Fall)

 โ€ข Apples Festival (Fall)
 โ€ข Local Family Fun Amusement Parks
 โ€ข Things to do in Valparaiso
 โ€ข Things to do in Portage

 

Aftermath Cidery & Winery ; Bao’s Pastry ; Be Good Juicerie ; Designer Desserts-Valparaiso;
Don Quijote Imports; E&A Jewelers ; Ella Jayms ; FLUID Coffee Roasters – Downtown Valparaiso ; FLUID Coffee Roasters – Valpo South;
Hungry Hound Boutique & Grooming ; Indie Indie Bang Bang ; Journeyman Distillery; Lifestyles ; Market 102 ; Merit Pilates;
Birdie’s ; Old World Market ; Peddlers Pizza Pub ; Pickles Kids; Pikk’s Tavern ; RADIUS-Valpo; Rocket Fizz Valparaiso, Indiana ; Scented Science
Silcott Shoes ; Six Cypress Boutique; The Spice & Tea Exchange; The Press; Toys in the Attic – Valpo Valpo Vintage;
vALPARAISO, INDIANA; ValpoEvents; Valparaiso Events; Things to do in Valparaiso; Downtown Valparaiso; Valparaiso Restaurants; Valparaiso Boutiques

 

Sue

Sue Baxter

Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.

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About The Author

Sue Baxter

Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak - a national news affiliate.