| Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore |
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Information AboutIndiana Dunes National Lakeshore |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE | |
| 1966 establishments | |
| dunes | |
| great lakes | |
| national lakeshores of the united states | |
| parks in indiana | |
| porter county, indiana | |
| northwest indiana | |
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The park contains 15 miles (24 km) of Beach es, as well as Sand Dune s, Bog s, Marsh es, Swamp s, Fen s, Prairie s, River s, Oak Savanna s, and woodland Forest s. More than 350 species of birds have been observed in the park. It has one of the most diverse plant communities of any unit in the U.S. National Park System with 1418 Vascular Plant species including 90 threatened or endangered ones. The Indiana Dunes is unique in that it contains both arctic and boreal plants (such as the Bearberry ) alongside desert plants (such as the Prickly Pear Cactus ). The area first came to prominence in 1899 when Henry Cowles did some of the pioneering work in American plant Ecology there. Despite attempts to protect the area from threats such as the nearby Gary steel mills led by groups such as the Prairie Club of Chicago , the area continued to be exploited. The tallest dune in Indiana, the 200 foot (60 m) high Hoosier Slide, was hauled away and turned into glass by Pittsburgh Plate Glass and canning jars by Ball Brothers . In 1926, part of the area became the Indiana Dunes State Park. Lobbying continued to expand the area and in 1963, the Kennedy Compromise linked the construction of the Port Of Indiana to the development of a National Lakeshore. The Lakeshore was created in 1966 and expanded in 1976, 1980, 1986 and 1992. First-time visitors to the Lakeshore often go to the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center at U.S. Highway 12 and Kemil Road, near Beverly Shores, Indiana . The center offers standard visitor-center amenities, including a video, brochures, hands-on exhibits, and a gift shop. It is free to the general public. The park provides opportunites for Bird Watching , Camping , 45 miles (72 km) of Hiking , Fishing , Swimming , Horseback Riding , and Cross-country Skiing . The park had 1.8 million visits in 2002. EXTERNAL LINK |
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