Saturday, June 4, 2022

Indiana Dunes NP: Pinhook Bog

In the morning, I checked out of Dunewood Campground and drove over to the Pinhook Bog parking lot to join the ranger-led hike scheduled for 9 am. Pinhook Bog is open only when a ranger is on duty, to protect the trail and vegetation. A pretty big group was already waiting in the small parking lot. Ranger Penny gave an introduction to the Bog and told us what to expect from the hike. She said that the lady's slipper orchid was at the end of their blooming season but we may be able to see a few of them.
After a short walk on a shady trail that was very close to the main road, we came to a fenced off area with a boardwalk beyond the locked gate. The ranger said that the floating boardwalk was recently installed. It was quite an experience to walk over the bog, we had to keep a few steps behind the person in front, to prevent water from sloshing over the boards.
The diverse vegetation was amazing. We did see a few pink lady's slipper orchids; the other orchids in the bog were not out at this time, but the pitcher plants with their maroon flowers were abundant. The ranger also pointed out sundews, another carnivorous plant as well as bladderworts and tamarack.
When we reached the end of the boardwalk, the ranger showed us photos of plants that were not blooming at the time, and pointed out that the trail covered only a sliver of the huge bog. She warned us not to get off the boardwalk, demonstrating how deep the bog was by putting her walking stick into it. The stick was almost completely covered.
A number of us stayed on the trail for a long time, taking photos of the plants and the trail. I finally left to get lunch and decide where to go next. The afternoon got cloudy and cooler, so I decided to go on another hike.

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