Ly-co-ki-we Trail

The Ly-co-ki-we Trail is the longest continuous trail in Indiana Dunes National Park, looping through the park's most ecologically diverse section east of U.S. 12 near the town of Beverly Shores. The name derives from a Potawatomi word meaning 'sandy soil.' The 9.5-mile loop connects virtually every habitat type found in the park: active foredunes with marram grass, stabilized backdunes cloaked in black oak, interdunal panne wetlands rich with carnivorous sundew, upland forest of sassafras and tulip poplar, and sedge-meadow fens. Hikers regularly encounter white-tailed deer, fox squirrels, and a variety of migratory songbirds in the transition zones between habitats. The trail also passes close to the historic Beverly Shores architectural showcase, where five 1933 Chicago World's Fair exhibition homes were barged across the lake and reassembled. In winter the trail converts to cross-country ski use. Trailhead parking is at the Ly-co-ki-we trailhead near the park's east unit headquarters.