Join fellow LGBTQ+ outdoor enthusiasts for a hiking day trip just outside Chicago! All levels of experience are welcome!

Join us for a day-trip as we hike through wetlands, black oak savanna and sandy dune habitat at Indiana Dunes National Park. The hike will be approximately 4.7 miles round trip on an unpaved trail, and includes some strenuous inclines. We'll take our time and set a group pace, but please be sure to wear closed-toed shoes and comfortable, weather appropriate clothing. Pack plenty of water, bug spray, and sunscreen. Pack a lunch as we'll stop mid-way through the hike to rest, eat, and enjoy the lakeshore. To protect the safety of all participants, we have limited the trip capacity to 25 people. Please RSVP using the Eventbrite platform to reserve a spot.

Our guide will be Brian Forist. Brian Forist (he/him) teaches in the Parks, Recreation, & the Outdoors program at Indiana University and calls the Indiana Dunes region home. He has worked as an interpretive park ranger at Indiana Dunes National Park and as education director at the Dunes Learning Center.

We will meet at the North Parking Lot located at 1450 North Mineral Springs Road, Dune Acres, IN 46304. Look for the gravel entrance road on the right just before the Dune Acres town guardhouse. The trailhead GPS coordinates are: 41.645191, -87.084633 (Decimal Degrees).

If there's anything we can do to accommodate you or answer questions, please reach out to Forrest Cortes at urbantarzann@gmail.com.

Join Chicago Audubon Society's Out In Nature online community here.

Learn more about Cowls Bog and Indiana Dunes National Park here.