Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail

More than just a hiking trail, this interactive experience will create a place for visitors and locals to learn, play, touch, ponder, and become inspired. The new trail will weave the culture of the Miami and Potawatomi Indigenous Peoples with the natural ecology of the Indiana Dunes—one of the most biodiverse areas of the country.

Three women site in front of a laptop on a table, smiling. Two people sit at an additional table in the background, near a fireplace.

Working Together

The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, Indiana Dunes Tourism, and the Indiana Dunes National Park have joined together to reenvision the land around the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center. The new trail will provide rich experiences and offer new perspectives of the Indigenous Peoples who have lived in this region for centuries. Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail programming and interpretive messaging will include themes such as water, seasons, sustainability, and plants.

Learn More

Be a Part of the Vision

While several grants have kickstarted the construction of the trail, we still need your help. If you would like make a donation to help us complete the trail, see the link below. We would like to thank all who have donated to the trail so far. We couldn't have done what we have done so far without you!

Donate Today

A boardwalk with railings leads up to a building

Trail Updates

A low environmental impact boardwalk has been built in front of the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center. The boardwalk overlooks a naturalized section of Dunes Creek, which leads to Lake Michigan.
A land acknowledgment honoring Indigenous cultures has been installed in front of the Visitor Center.
Indigenous design crosswalks have been installed. The crosswalks connect the trail, interpretive elements, and the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center.
The welcome area in front of the Visitor Center has been reconfigured. New flag poles have been installed and flags were raised in September.
The large raised fire pit with diamond designs has been installed. The fire pit has a snuffer that will double as a table for educational programming.

Indigenous Cultural Trail Dedication Event

A special dedication event for the Indigenous Cultural Trail took place on September 27, 2023.

ICT Kickoff event flag ceremony and song

Q&A about the Indigenous Cultural Trail

Read more about the Indigenous Cultural Trail in the interview with our Vice President.

ARCY Mural Art Walk

Known for his paint-splashed style of large-scale street art, ARCY visited the Indiana Dunes to spray paint murals for the Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail. The local indigenous plants and animals featured in the murals were chosen by the team due to their beauty, history in the area, and significance to the Miami and/or Potawatomi. View the timelapse video of the bobcat mural being created below.

A Vision for the Future

The proposed features for the first phase of the project include:

Additional interpretive signage, including a tree trail in three languages (Potawatomi, Miami, and English), exploring the significance of the natural resources within the Indigenous cultures.
Large limestone turtle sculptures with the Miami and Potawatomi calendars on their shells.
Extension of the trail onto the surrounding National Park Service land.

Purple Flowers at Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail

Acknowledgment

Indiana Dunes Tourism and the National Park Service acknowledge with great respect that the Indiana Dunes are within the traditional lands of the Bodéwadmik/Potawatomi and Myaamia/Miami Peoples past and present. We honor with gratitude the land itself and the Indigenous Peoples who inhabited it throughout the generations. We are working in partnership to bring Indigenous voices to the forefront and to continue the tradition of caring for this land. As you walk along these trails, remember the ancestors – those who made this place their home and still have ties here.