Bayless Dune Nature Preserve
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Ambler Flatwoods
Michigan City

Ambler Flatwoods is a dedicated Indiana state nature preserve. It is a big place, but its greatest delights are the small things. Tiny forests of rare club mosses cover the ground. Mushrooms in colorful variety emerge from the leaf litter. Salamanders lurk beneath fallen logs. Migratory birds find temporary shelter high in its trees. The sound of hooting owls punctuates the night. Twenty species of reptiles and amphibians have been identified here.

In early spring, vernal pools and rivulets cover a great portion of the property. During the evening hours, the woodland ponds at Ambler come alive with a choir of calling frogs. This boreal flatwoods natural community is found nowhere else in Indiana and is a haven for plants typically found much farther north. At least 39 state-listed plant species and many others considered rare in the Chicago region are found here.

Preserve Size

Preserve Size 521 Acres

Preserve Open to the Public

Open to the Public

Trail Length

Trail Length 4.07 Miles

Preserve Terrain

Terrain Flat, Wet

Visit the Preserve

Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve is located on the east side of Michigan City, south of US 12 on Meer Rd.

The main parking lot is located just north of Tryon Road on the west side of Meer Road. Parking for the northern trailhead is located on Freyer Road, just east of Meer Road.

Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve

With Thanks

to Our Generous Acquisition and Restoration Partners

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National Park Service
Great Lakes Restoration
Indiana Heritage Trust
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Nature Preserves
State of Indiana
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The Nature Conservancy
Sustain Our Great Lakes
Save the Dunes
Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Program
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
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