Great Marsh Trail (North)
in Indiana · centroid 36 mi from Chicago
Great Marsh Trail 1.3 miles, 9 feet of elevation gain, 0% average grade, 1% maximum grade Hike time: 1 hour The featured hike starts from the south parking lot trailhead. Follow the trail generally north until the T-junction. Turn right and complete the lollipop shaped trail.
Return to the T-junction and head straight this time to the Great Marsh observation desk. Lastly, hike back to the T-junction and turn right, which will take you back to the south parking lot. A really nice birding hike with views of the largest wetland complex in the Lake Michigan watershed.
Flocks of coots, mallards, and wood ducks now glide over the wetland's surface. Kingfishers, tree swallows, and rusty blackbirds rest during migration. Green herons stalk the shoreline while beaver play in the channels.
- States
- Indiana
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Chicago, IL · 36 mi · ~1.0 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 41.6775°, -86.9882°
About Indiana Dunes National Park
This trail is inside Indiana Dunes National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $20 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/great-marsh-trail-north.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Great Marsh Trail (North) and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Great Marsh Trail (South)
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Dune Ridge Trail
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Calumet Dunes Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Glenwood Dunes Trail (Alternate)
2 miles from this trail's centroid
DLT p - Broadway to Mt. Baldy
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Glenwood Dunes Trail (Main)
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.