Wykes-Plampin Nature Preserve
​ (Formerly Little Calumet Wetlands)

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This 70-acre area is made up of two non-contiguous parcels along the Little Calumet River in Westchester Township and the Town of Chesterton.  The properties feature rich riparian habitat with floodplain and old oxbows.  It is a haven for paddlers, anglers, hikers, birders, and other nature enthusiasts.  A riverside trail can be accessed just south of the Little Calumet River bridge on Brummitt Road just opposite Brummitt Elementary School.  The western portion, also known as Keith Richard Walner Nature Preserve, was acquired in December 2012 and has not yet been developed for visitors. 

Acquisition Partners:

NiSource Charitable Foundation, individual donors (Rosner and Walner Families).

Restoration Partners:

Wildlife Habitat Council, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Shirley Heinze holdings on the Little Calumet River contribute to a larger effort by local land preservation entities to protect riparian habitat and promote outdoor recreation.  Steelhead trout and salmon offer challenges to anglers.  Canoeists and kayakers enjoy access to the river.  Birders and nature enthusiasts appreciate the preserve’s varied habitats for flora and fauna.

~ Anonymous 
I remember a hike through the Little Calumet parcel that was later donated to us in 2012. As we followed a path downward through the forest, I turned and noticed a deep bend outlined in the floor of the ravine ahead and to the left of us. The dark, muddled outline of stagnant water made me stop and feel a sense of mystery. I wondered what it was. It was an oxbow that had once been a large, living bend in the Little Calumet River that wandered through the property. 

Further along on our hike, we found the ditch dug by laborers decades earlier that leads the river to its quicker shortcut through Chesterton. I was deeply affected by the history and beauty of this woods and river and left longing to see the Little Cal allowed to resume its original meandering course someday.

~ Anne 

Directions:

From I-94, take exit 26B (State Road 49 south to Chesterton).  Turn left (west) on Indian Boundary Road and follow it to a T-junction at Brummitt Road.  Park in the school parking lot along Brummitt Road and walk across the street to the access point just south of the Little Calumet River bridge.

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Click here to download a printable Trail Map.

A Day of Leisure

Photos provided by Mia Goulding and Save The Dunes 
Kayaks and canoes provided by Northwest Indiana Paddling Association (NWIPA)