Outdoors: Mount Baldy

Dune Top Click to Enlarge Inland Edge Click to Enlarge Introduction Mount Baldy is a living dune, so-called because it moves several feet inland every year. In the process, it buries the vegetation in the path of its advance, and a look at its downwind slope reveals the tops of dead trees sticking forlornly out of the mountain of sand. At some point in the not-too-distant future, it seems likely to bury the parking area and associated facilities. Either way, the views from the top are worth it (except perhaps for the smokestacks of Michigan City just to the east) and the beach below is accessible and inviting. Trails Getting to the top is a scramble; for every foot you climb you'll likely slip back six inches, and in the process accumulate a great deal of sand in your shoes. A longer alternative path exists; it is less steep and may prove better for both you and the dune. Facilities Bathrooms (flush toilets). Directions View Larger Map LaPorte County, north of US 12, sandwiched between the county line and Michigan City. Parking lot: North 41 42.417 West 86 55.784 US 12 entrance: North 41 42.333 West 86 55.862 DeLorme 19:A10 Nearby Natural Areas Barker Woods Indiana Dunes State Park Kemil Beach Ly-co-ki-we Trail References Bloom: Hiking Indiana; Page 29 Habeck: Wild Indiana; Page 18 McPherson: Indiana Best Hikes; Page 108