Indiana Dunes Hiking

Click here to see what the news media is saying about Indiana Dunes Hiking / Ron Seman

AARP magazine

This is the REAL/PEOPLE Sage of the Dunes article in the AARP Magazine in the October / November 2022 issue. (This is the #1 magazine in actual readership and not just printed copies,) AARP.Org Magazine

Front cover October/November 2022 AARP.Org Magazine

FEATURED HIKES

Night at the Museum

FRIDAY, 1/16/26

6:30 PM CST

Nature Center of the Indiana Dunes State Park

Text 1-219-370-9119 If you are coming. All are welcome.

We will meet at the Nature Center of the Indiana Dunes State Park.

There are two actual hikes. The second one is optional:

1) Take the Nature Center Trail to Trail 10. Then take Trail 10 east to Trail 2's Great Marsh boardwalk and perhaps see the moon and stars. Then take the same way back, Trail 10 west to the Nature Center Trail.

The hike is flat and in the woods.

There is no sand.

The mileage ABOUT 2.0 miles. If we go 2.0 MPH then it will be about 2 hours long so it will end around 8:30 PM.

YES dogs are welcome on a 6 foot leash.

2) This is a rugged hike. It will include some /BIG\ dune climbs, like the 3 Dune Challenge. It will start immediately after the first hike ends around 8:30 PM. It will end around 10:00 PM. The Indiana Dunes State Park closes at 11:00 PM.

YES dogs are welcome on a 6 foot leash.

Google Maps' Pin for the Nature Center: https://maps.app.goo.gl/72dueTaZBj1DcbXy7

RonSeman.Com

1.11.26

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The Nature of Nature

is that it is a healer.

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2026 - Scheduled

(There are also private hikes not shown.)

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11) 1/7/26, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

12) 1/7/26, Wednesday, Private Hike, Lemon Lake, a Lake County Indiana Park.

13) 1/8/26, Thursday, 8:00 AM, Text 1-219-370-9119 to give an opinion on where to hike!

14) 1/9/26, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

15) 1/9/26, Friday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum - EASY HIKE

16) & 1/9/26, Friday, 8:00 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum - RUGGED HIKE

1.7.26

~~~~~~~

The Nature of Nature

is that it is a healer.

~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2026 - Scheduled

(There are also private hikes not shown.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✅11) 1/7/26, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅12) 1/7/26, Wednesday, Private Hike, Lemon Lake, a Lake County Indiana Park.

✅13) 1/8/26, Thursday, 8:00 AM Indiana Dunes State Park

✅14) 1/9/26, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅15) 1/9/26, Friday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum - EASY HIKE

✅16) 1/9/26, Friday, 8:00 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum - RUGGED HIKE

✅ 17) 1/10/26, Saturday, 10:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE

18) 1/11/26, Sunday, 8:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE

19) 1/11/26, Sunday, 1:00 PM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE

20) 1/12/26, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

21) 1/13/26, Tuesday, 10:00 AM Indiana Dunes State Park

22) 1/14/26, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

23) 1/13/26, Thursday, 10:00 AM Indiana Dunes State Park

24) 1/16/26, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

25) 1/16/26, Friday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum - EASY HIKE

26) 1/16/26, Friday, 8:00 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum - MODERATE/RUGGED HIKE

27) 1/17/26, Saturday, 8:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE

28) 1/18/26, Sunday, 1:00 PM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE

============================================

====== PREVIOUS Public Hikes from 10/31/25 and on =======

============================================

✅10/31/25, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅10/31/25, Private, Friday, 10:00 AM SECRET PINE FOREST Hike./ Hey request your free group hike. Text 1-219-370-9119 with your request.

✅11/1/25, Private, Saturday, 11:00 AM La Porte, "The Door" in French. / Hey request your free group hike. Text 1-219-370-9119 with your request.

✅11/1/25, Saturday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum (On Saturday to avoid Halloween trick or tricking in the campground.)

✅11/2/25, Private, Sunday, 12:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Private Hike this time in La Porte / Church on the Trail / Hey request your free group hike. Text 1-219-370-9119 with your request.

✅11/3/25, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/5/25, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/5/25, Wednesday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / FULL MOON HIKE! (Could be shifted if cloudy weather.)

✅11/7/25, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/7/25, Friday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum

✅11/9/25, Sunday, 10:45 AM - 1:00 PM CST, Pinhook Bog Upland Trail / Church on the Trail / Always text 1-219-370-9119 ahead of time to confirm the exact meeting location and also because the Church on the Trail can be held at other locations like the Indiana Dunes National or State Parks.

✅11/10/25, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/12/25, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/14/25, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/14/25, Friday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum

✅11/16/25, Sunday, Time and Location varies based on the location. Text on Saturday TEXT 1-219-370-9119 know the location and time of this hike / Church on the Trail / Always text 1-219-370-9119 ahead of time to confirm the exact meeting location and also because the Church on the Trail can be held at other locations like the Indiana Dunes National or State Parks.

NATIONAL GO TAKE A HIKE DAY!- 11/17/25

✅11/17/25, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/17/25, Monday, 10:00 AM Cowles Bog.

✅11/18/25, Tuesday, 10:00 AM Central Avenue Beach.

✅11/19/25, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/19/25, Wednesday, 10:00 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TRAIL in Indiana per USA Today's survey of ALL park managers.

✅11/19/25, Wednesday, 1:30 PM Chellberg Farm /Bailly Homestead, Indiana Dunes National Park / We will see the Bailly Homestead, Little Calumet River Trail, Bailly Cemeterym Chelberg Farm Chellberg Garden

✅11/21/25, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/21/25 , Friday, 10:00 AM Indiana Dunes State Park - START FILMING DOCUMENTARY.

✅11/21/25, Friday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum

✅11/22/25, Saturday, 10:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE,

TEXT 1-219-370-9119 for more information as the adventure may be public. Some because of the group that it is done for can not be public.

✅11/23/25, Sunday, 9:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE,

TEXT 1-219-370-9119 for more information as the adventure may be public. Some because of the group that it is done for can not be public.

✅11/23/25, Sunday, 2:00 PM CST, THANKSGIVING PRAYER WALK, Chelberg Farm parking lot. Text on Saturday TEXT 1-219-370-9119. AChurch on the Trail edition.

Parking: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Khj2k4NRh9jaxCi1A

✅11/24/25, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/26/25, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series. I won't be attending.

✅11/26/25, Wednesday, 10:00 AM, private,forest bathing/shinrin-yoku.

✅11/27/25, Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving. Take a walk with family and if you don't like them or don't have them risk it and go to the Indiana Dunes State Park and walk slowly and enjoy. I did the J. Timothy Richard Trail.

✅11/28/25, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅11/28/25, Friday, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / * * * RUGGED * * * BLACK TRAIL FRIDAY, Don't submit to the door buster mentality

✅11/28/25, Friday, 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / * * * RUGGED * * * BLACK TRAIL FRIDAY, Don't be possessed by your posessions.

✅11/29/25, Saturday, 10:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE,

TEXT 1-219-370-9119 for more information as the adventure may be public. Some, because of the group that it is done for can not be public.

✅11/30/25, Sunday, 9:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE, / Church on the Trail edition / TEXT 1-219-370-9119 for more information as the adventure may be public. Some because of the group that it is done for can not be public.

✅ 1) 12/1/25, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅ 2) 12/1/25, Monday, 10:00 AM Private hike. Schedule your free one here. indianaduneshiking.com/request-a-hike Not many spots left....

✅3) 12/2/25, Tuesday, 10:00 AM Location TBD <- Help me decide Schedule your free one here. indianaduneshiking.com/request-a-hike Not many spots left....

✅4) 12/3/25, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅5) 12/3/25, Wednesday, 10:00 AM Location TBD <- Help me decide

✅6) 12/3/25, Wednesday, 4:00 PM Private Prayer Walk at Cowles Bog.

✅7) 12/4/25, Thursday, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Location TBD <- Help me decide

✅8) 12/4/25, Thursday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / FULL MOON HIKE!

✅9) 12/5/25, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅10) 12/5/25, Friday, 10:00 AM Location TBD <- Help me decide

✅11) 12/5/25, Friday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum

✅12) 12/6/25, Saturday, 10:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE,

TEXT 1-219-370-9119 for more information as the adventure may be public. Some because of the group that it is done for can not be public.

✅13) 12/7/25, Sunday, 9:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE, / Church on the Trail edition / TEXT 1-219-370-9119 for more information as the adventure may be public. Some because of the group that it is done for can not be public.

✅14) 12/8/25, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅15) 12/8/25, Monday, 10:00 AM Sunset Hills Farm County Park

✅16) 12/8/25, Monday, 11:30 AM Heron Rookery Trail

✅17) 12/9/25, Tuesday, 9:00 AM Pinhook Bog Upland Trail

✅18) 12/10/25, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅19) 12/10/25, Wednesday, 10:00 AM at LEMON LAKE County Park, 402 acres - https://lakecountyparks.com/244/Lemon-Lake THIS was Lake County's FIRST county park in 1972- Private Entrepreneurial Walk

✅20) 12/12/25, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅21) 12/12/25, Friday, 10:00 AM Location TBD <- Help me decide

✅22 & 23) 12/12/25, Friday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum

✅24) 12/13/25, Saturday, 10:00 AM CST,Chellberg Farm, GROUNDED IN NATURE,

TEXT 1-219-370-9119 for more information as the adventure may be public. Some because of the group that it is done for can not be public.

✅25) 12/14/25, Sunday, 9:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE, / Church on the Trail edition / RICHARDSON PRESERVE in La Porte, IN.

TEXT 1-219-370-9119 for more information as the adventure may be public. Some because of the group that it is done for can not be public.

✅26) 12/15/25, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅27) 12/16/25, Monday, 10:00 AM Coffee Creek

✅28) 12/17/25, Tuesday, 10:00 AM Location TBD <- Help me decide

✅29) 12/18/25, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅30) 12/17/25, Wednesday, 10:00 AM Location TBD <- Help me decide

✅31) 12/18/25, Thursday, 1:00 PM A tour of Notre Dame's 14 story library of everything. I take you thought the whole thing for a couple hours or more.

✅32) 12/19/25, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅33) 12/19/25, Friday, 10:00 AM Location TBD <- Help me decide

✅34 & 35) 12/19/25, Friday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum

✅36) 12/20/25, Saturday, 10:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE,Richardson Preserve, the Hidden Hundred,

in La Porte. Departing from La Porte around 10:00 AM.

Text 1-219-370-9119 for instructions.

✅37) 12/21/25, Sunday, 10:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE, / Church on the Trail edition / Departing from La Porte around 10:00 AM.

Text 1-219-370-9119 for instructions.

✅38) 12/22/25, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅39) 12/22/25, Monday, 10:00 AM Location TBD <- Help me decide

✅40) 12/23/25, Tuesday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center (Annual Christmas Eve Eve hike!)

✅41) 12/24/25, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series. I won't be able to attend.

✅42) 12/25/25, Thursday, 9:00 AM, Bicycle ride to Indiana Dunes State Park

✅43) 12/26/25, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅44) 12/27/25, Saturday, Private hike

✅45) 12/28/25, Sunday, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM, MONSTER CHALLENGE (19.1 miles on ALL of the park's trails), Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion next to the beach.

1.5.26

SUNDAY, 12/28/25

7:00 AM CST

The Pavilion of the Indiana Dunes State Park

MONSTER CHALLENGE

LEARN ABOUT forest bathing/shinrin-yoku

***THIS IS NOT A RACE!!!*** We go SLOW and observe nature. <=== Read that sentence 3 times and comprehend it at least once. Wait. We sense you still don’t get it. Read it again! Comprehend!

We hike all the 16.5 miles of marked trails in the Indiana Dunes State Park. To get to all of the trails there is some repeated parts so that brings us to 19.2 real miles. Now introduce sand on some trails. That brings difficulty. On flat sand like on the beach it requires 300% more effort. So that 3 mile walk from Kemil Beach of Beverly Shores to the Pavilion at the Indiana Dunes State Park doesn’t feel like 3 but 9 miles if on pavement. Going up a steep dune like Mt Jackson requires a staggering 800% more effort. So a 1/4 mile climb turns into a real feel of 2 miles. When all is said and done the REAL FEEL OF THE HIKE is 34 miles. We end the hike with the THREE DUNE CHALLENGE but then have to go back up Mt Tom to be able to complete the Monster Challenge by taking Trail 8 from Mt Tom to the beach and west back to the Pavilion. So the MONSTER CHALLENGE concludes with the 4 Dune Challenge and THAT was on purpose.

Come and hike just a 1/4 mile or whatever. The first segment starts at the Pavilion at the Indiana Dunes State Park and goes through the campground past the Nature Center to Trail 10 to Beverly Shores’ Kemil Beach and back to the Pavilion for about ~6 miles. So do that. Spread this route out on a few trips to the park.

Enjoy this moments challenge as the WET & WILD MONSTER CHALLENGE. This challenge is done every season. This is the Winter edition. MORE DETAILS than you want to study nor comprehend is at https://sites.google.com/view/alldunechallenge

This is not sponsored by anyone nor any organization. It is just some people going for a Sunday walk in the rain in the woods.The MONSTER CHALLENGE BEGINS at 6:59 AM CST and CONCLUDES whenever at the Pavilion at the Indiana Dunes State Park.

WE ALL STAY IN ONE GROUP ALL THE TIME and if you stray from that you are shunned for life.

NOTE: Crawling, walking, strolling, hiking, jogging, or running can be fatal. No where you are going to go if you go.

12.23.25

✅46) 12/29/25, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅47) 12/30/25, Tuesday, 12 PM St. Francis Nature Preserve, Michigan City, a Shirley Heinze Land Trust Nature Preserve

✅48) 12/31/25, Wednesday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

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2026 history

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✅1) 1/1/26, Thursday, 10:00 AM Private Hike. Request yours: IndianaDunesHiking.com/request-a-hike

✅2) 1/2/26, Friday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅3 & ✅4) 1/2/26, Friday, 6:30 PM Indiana Dunes State Park / Nature Center / Night at the Museum

✅5) 1/3/26, Saturday, 8:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE,

TEXT 1-219-370-9119 for more information as the adventure may be public

. Some, because of the nature of the group can not be public.

✅6) 1/4/26, Sunday, 8:00 AM CST, GROUNDED IN NATURE, Church on the Trail, TEXT 1-219-370-9119 for more information as the adventure may be public. Some, because of the nature of the group can not be public.

✅7) 1/4/26, Sunday, 12:00 PM - 3:30 PM Private family birthday hike

✅8) 1/5/26, Monday, 6:30 AM Indiana Dunes State Park / Pavilion on the beach. WOLFE PACK series.

✅9) 1/5/26, Monday, 10:00 AM, Text 1-219-370-9119 to give an opinion on where to hike!

✅10) 1/6/26, Tuesday, 11:00 AM, Red Mill County Park

1.6.26

For information on Ron, the Sage of the Dunes, see: Ron.Seman.Com

For archived posts including photos and videos

from the past adventures visit:

Facebook.Com/IndianaDunesHiking

GREAT OVERVIEWS ON PARK INFORMATION!

1) Indiana Dunes National Park: (https://www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm.)

2) Indiana Dunes National & State Park, Singing Sands Park Guide: (https://www.nps.gov/indu/learn/news/upload/Singing-Sands-2025-26-Web-Final-508b.pdf)

3) Indiana Dunes State Park: (https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/parks-lakes/indiana-dunes-state-park/.)

4) Here is the Indiana Dunes State Park Trail map: https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/files/dunes_trail.pdf

Indiana Dunes History on wall at the Pavilion at the Indiana Dunes State Park 8.13.25 · Tuesday, Jul 22 📸Shared album · Tap to view!

Click on the picture to open the photo album

59 seconds of nature

(aka 111011)

7.17.23

I used a 15,000 Lumen flashlight and I threw sand and took a night mode 1-3 second photo with an Apple iPhone 14 Max Pro.

5.5.23

Boaters Beach at north end of Cowles Bog.

Sunrise on the Dune Ridge Trail

3.1.23

A photo from a recent POP UP HIKE - Polar Moon Adventure on 2.3.23

Here is a Google Photos link of some more photos from that hike:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/h2pgrP649jWKoZr8A

7.17.25

Giving the illusion that light bends...

On the Dune Ridge Trail from Kemil Beach parking lot in Beverly Shores--- my favorite place for a sunrise without question.

3.1.23

On Central Beach heading east to Kintzele Ditch

2.25.23

Kintzele Ditch

2.2.23

Another moon hiking adventure

3.27.23

These were marine recruits I had the honor of being with, who were hiking at the Indiana Dunes State Park as a little training before taking off to boot camp in San Diego. After getting on top of the Devil’s Slide, the marine sergeants made them do PUSH UPS and jumping jacks all so that we can have FREEDOM!

7.17.25