this event will be sponsored jointly with Rick's Hiking and Fun Group https://www.meetup.com/Ricks-Hiking-Fun-Group/ .

my sources say that as of last weekend, some parts of the trails here are muddy, or have water puddles. i would wear boots, and carry a walking stick.

if you have trouble parking, note the huge overflow parking area across the road.

Hiking automatically involve risks from weather, trail conditions, even plants and animals.

we don't know your state of health, or fitness level, but YOU do, or should, so please monitor yourself, and--for your sake and ours--stay away from events that involve activities with unwanted difficulty, or an unacceptable risk level.

meet near the washrooms at Chellberg Farm at 11 CT, 12 ET

dear hiking friends--

today's hike will start at a familiar trailhead, but go off in a different direction from the one we usually take. moreover, we will have three variations of the route so you may choose how far and fast you want to hike.

you may go with Rick for an EASY hike of 2.0 miles. this route will be on mostly flat ground at a leisurely pace, and we will have stops at Chellberg Farm and the Bailly Homestead, so almost anyone should have minimal difficulty with this hike.

you may go with Kathy for a MODERATE hike of 5.7 miles. the pace on this hike will be faster, with a longer route, but still mostly level ground.

or you may go with Eileen for a more RUGGED hike of 7.1 miles, with a faster pace, and 2 steep climbs over loose sand with some uneven terrain, and treacherous tree roots on one descent in particular.

you don't need to decide on your selection till we come to the departure junctions, but for your sake and ours, don't take a route that is beyond your abilities.

please check the weather before departure and have appropriate clothing and equipment [https://weather.com/weather/today/l/46301:4:US](https://weather.com/weather/today/l/46301:4:US) . bring along a lunch which we will eat on the trail, plus enough water (one quart minimum).
remember, this is a fee area--you must DISPLAY A PERMIT to park here--
https://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/fees.htm

i will pass a hat for a small donation to cover expenses: mostly, this is the cost of using the meetup website, but sometimes I have other expenses. as long as i can cover this with people putting $2-3 in a can, i prefer not doing anything more binding or complicated.

if you have symptoms of, or have recently tested positive for Covid-19 (or any other contagious disease), please DO NOT ATTEND.

make sure you know where your car is parked, in case you want to turn back at any point.

i also encourage you all to take and post pictures to meetup. i ask this particularly because we won't all be taking the same route.

we will gather near the restrooms off the parking lot, and wait till 11:20 CT for all to arrive. then we will turn right at the valley's edge and walk a short distance till we come to the Chellberg Farm.
this is a preserved farmstead owned by Swedish immigrants, and run in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. there are animals in the farmyard and the barn.

after that, we will ascend some bridges and stairs up a streambed till we come to the Porter-Brickyard Trail, opened in 2012. there you may turn left and go with me, Rick.

we will follow the Porter-Brickyard trail down a gradual wooded slope into the river valley, make a left at Howe road, and arrive at the canoe ramp on the Little Calumet river, where we will see the spooky antique iron gates of some home that used to stand at that location.

then we will tarry a bit at the Bailly Homestead, with preserved buildings covering about a century of construction from the family of fur trapper-trader Joseph Bailly and his descendants. we will look around for a while, then arrive back at the parking lot shortly, for a total day's hike of 2.0 miles.

...or, when we reach the Porter-Brickyard trail you may go right, with Eileen and Kathy, and take the trail through the woods, and over the elaborate steel bridge that crosses US 12.

at the Greenbelt trailhead, we will turn west, and cross the narrow causeway between some small ponds and Cowles Bog; we will continue a ways on the boundary between the prairie and forest, till we come to another trail junction, where you may go right with Kathy on a loop around the edge of the bog, for a total day's hike of 5.7 miles.

...or you may continue left with Eileen, down some steep dunes to the lakefront, up another dune and back for a total day's hike of 7.1 miles.

whichever route you choose, we hope to see you there,

Rick

directions:
from US 12, turn south on Mineral Springs rd, or from US 20, turn north on Mineral Springs rd; enter the parking lot marked "Chellberg Farm"; if the parking lot is full, there is ample overflow parking across the road; try to arrive by 12:00; we will wait till 12:20, then depart on foot.

Rick Malkowski

Michiana Adventures

Social Activities

Social

Hiking

Eating & Drinking

Make New Friends

New In Town

Spirituality

Outdoor Adventures

Fitness

Outdoors

Outdoor Fitness

Adventure

Fun Times

Kayaking

Sports and Recreation

Learning

Porter-Brickyard Trail hike for the Vernal Equinox at the National Park

Coffee

Dining Out

Self-Help & Self-Improvement

Indiana Dunes National Park Chellberg Farm

Share

Michiana Adventures

Porter-Brickyard Trail hike for the Vernal Equinox at the National Park

Michiana Adventures

Details

Members are also interested in