Join Indiana DNR regional ecologist, Emily Stork, and Lake County Parks Natural Areas Manager, Alexis Dalton, for a rare opportunity to hike Tolleston Ridges Nature Preserve on Thurs. May, 14 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. CT. Tolleston Ridges Nature Preserve is otherwise not open to the public because it contains globally rare dune and swale habitat rich with biodiversity. The dune and swale landscape was formed by the retreat of ancestral Lake Michigan following the last glacial cycle. Sandy ridges, former beaches of the lake, are dominated by black oak savanna. Intervening swales host a wide variety of wetland plants and animal life.

This guided hike is an opportunity to visit a unique area, unbroken by trails, so registrants should come prepared for walking through vegetation over uneven and sometimes muddy terrain. The space for parking is extremely limited, so participants should meet at the Gibson Woods Nature Preserve parking lot beginning at 3 p.m. CT.  Participants will be transported to and from Tolleston Ridges Nature Preserve from there. There is a restroom in the Nature Center at  Gibson Woods, but there are no facilities at Tolleston Ridges. The shuttles will leave Gibson Woods for Tolleston Ridges promptly at 3:30 p.m. CT, so be sure to arrive before then. The hike will conclude at Tolleston Ridges in time to get everyone transported back to their vehicles by 5:30 p.m. CT. 

Please register to attend this free event. See you there!

Note: Tolleston Ridges and Gibson Woods Nature Preserves are in the Central Time Zone. This event begins at 3 p.m. CT or 4 p.m. ET.

​​​​DNR values access for all participants and will provide reasonable accommodation for this event. Please contact Emily Stork at [email protected] or 219-688-0632 to request an accommodation or discuss any questions and concerns. Requests must be submitted at least one week before the event.