At 192 feet tall, Mt. Tom is the highest dune in the state of Indiana. Want to hike to the top of Mt. Tom? Here’s some info on how to get there, plus a preview of what you’ll see from the top.
Mt. Tom, Indiana Dunes State Park
Mount Tom can be found in Indiana Dunes State Park, which offers plenty of camping not far from Lake Michigan. To begin the short hike to Mt. Tom, you can enter the trail on the northern side of the campground. Look for the fence on the hillside with sand on the trail behind it.
Follow the sand trail up through the woods.
They’re serious about restoring the dunes, so respect the environment and remain on the established trails.
Soon you’ll reach a clearing that reveals a long, wooden walking bridge. This is a really long path – it must have taken forever to construct the bridge. But it’s perfect for allowing the ground underneath to remain undisturbed.
Once you climb to the top of the walkway, you’re there!
On a clear day, you can see all the way to the city of Chicago. The skyline stands tall behind Lake Michigan.
In the other direction, it’s factories, smokestacks and houses in Indiana.
There’s an information sign pointing out interesting facts about the Dunes, including the fact that Lake Michigan used to be much higher, meaning that the water went most of the way up what is now the hillside.
The hike is not very strenuous and will only take around 30 minutes or so. The reward is the view going back down the other side, heading towards the lake and the beach.
Kim
This is a cool place to hike to. I’ve camped and done yoga there.