Bayless Dune Nature Preserve
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Myrna J. Newgent
Wills Township

Myrna J. Newgent Nature Preserve is an upland forest habitat that is dominated by second-growth sugar maples, hickories, beeches, and elms. Most 19th- and 20th-century farms had a woodlot like this, a quiet space where nature was permitted to endure as it had existed prior to settlement.

The forest floor in spring offers a breathtaking display of wildflowers that may be one of the most pristine in Indiana: large-flowered trillium, yellow trout lily, blue cohosh, Dutchman’s breeches, bloodroot, toothwort and many others. Blue-eyed Mary and purple larkspur are found nowhere else on Shirley Heinze properties. The woods attracts migrant and nesting birdlife, including the pileated woodpecker, North America’s largest.

Preserve Size

Preserve Size 16 Acres

Preserve Access

Restricted Access

Trail Length

Trail None

Terrain

Terrain Flat, Moist

Visit the Preserve

Myrna J. Newgent Preserve is located in Wills Township, LaPorte County, southeast of the town of Rolling Prairie.

Access to the preserve is by special permission or guided tour only, due to the extremely sensitive nature of the forest floor. Contact us to learn more about visiting Myrna J. Newgent 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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