Places to Explore / Indiana

Hoosier Prairie

Small flowers, leafy understories, and a glimpse of northwest Indiana’s rich plant habitats.

Schererville · Lake County, IndianaPrairie · Oak savanna · WetlandsPhotographs from one visit

I’ve only visited Hoosier Prairie once, but it seemed to have very nice habitat for flowers. These are some of the plants that caught my eye that day. — Brian

A group of pale blue four-petaled flowers with yellow centers at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Azure Bluets

More than an open grassland

A meeting of dry and wet habitats

Hoosier Prairie Nature Preserve protects a remnant of the landscape once widespread in northwest Indiana. Indiana DNR describes a mosaic of dry black oak savanna on sandy rises, prairie on the slopes, and wet prairie, sedge meadow, and marsh in lower areas.

Those changes in moisture help explain why so many different plants can grow here. Controlled burns help maintain the open prairie habitat and limit woody growth.

There is a much older story beneath the flowers, too: the National Park Service traces these sandy landforms to the Glenwood Spit, an ancient shoreline feature formed around 13,000 years ago.

Green fern fronds surrounding upright cinnamon-brown fertile fronds at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Cinnamon Fern
Pale violet flowers with greenish centers above slender stems at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Violet Wood Sorrel

From one day’s discoveries

Flowers worth slowing down for

Azure Bluets, Yellow Star Grass, and Violet Wood Sorrel bring small splashes of color to this collection. White-flowered sandwort and Canada Mayflower invite an even closer look.

Wild Sarsaparilla’s rounded flower clusters, reddish Black Huckleberry bells, and Cinnamon Fern’s upright fertile fronds add very different shapes and textures. The photographs include close details as well as leaves and surrounding vegetation.

This is a record of one visit, not a full inventory of the preserve. Other seasons would reveal a different set of plants and flowers.

From my photo collection

A closer look at Hoosier Prairie

Explore 14 photographs, with related plants kept together. Select any photograph to open the slideshow.

A group of pale blue four-petaled flowers with yellow centers at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Azure Bluets
A single pale blue flower with four petals and a bright yellow center at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Azure Bluet, close up
A bright yellow star-shaped flower among narrow leaves at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Yellow Star Grass
Pale violet flowers with greenish centers above slender stems at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Violet Wood Sorrel
A small yellow five-petaled flower beside toothed green leaves at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Common Cinquefoil
A white five-petaled flower above low green vegetation at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Bluntleaf Sandwort
Slender stems with opposite leaves and a small white flower at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Bluntleaf Sandwort foliage
A cluster of tiny white flowers beside a broad glossy green leaf at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Canada Mayflower
Show 6 more photographs
Small white flowers clustered above broad green leaves at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Canada Mayflower, close up
A rounded cluster of tiny greenish-white flowers at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Wild Sarsaparilla flowers
Rounded flower clusters rising above fallen leaves at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Wild Sarsaparilla on the woodland floor
Small reddish bell-shaped flowers hanging beneath green leaves at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Black Huckleberry
A cluster of white flowers with dark-tipped stamens beside green leaves at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Black Chokeberry
Green fern fronds surrounding upright cinnamon-brown fertile fronds at Hoosier Prairie, Indiana.
Cinnamon Fern

Plan a visit

Exploring Hoosier Prairie

Find the trailhead

The parking area is on Main Street, east of Kennedy Avenue in Schererville, Indiana. Coming east from U.S. 41, look for the entrance on the right after Kennedy Avenue.

View the trailhead on a map

A short walk, many habitats

The National Park Service describes a 0.7-mile featured hike through prairie, marsh, and savanna. Consult the current trail map to choose your route.

Come prepared

The NPS lists no restrooms or drinking water at the trailhead. Bring water and check current visitor information before traveling.

Leave the flowers growing

Enjoy photographs from the designated trails, respect closed areas, and leave plants undisturbed. Blooming times vary, so this gallery is a glimpse of a past visit rather than a promise of what will be flowering.

Sources & visitor information: Indiana DNR — Hoosier Prairie Nature Preserve · National Park Service — Hoosier Prairie trails and history.

Photographs by Brian Woolman / Where’s Wildlife.

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