After water collected in a depression created by a glacier many, many years ago, the water did not move and became very acidic, becoming the bog it is known to be today. Pinhook Bog provides the perfect conditions to support a list of unique plants.
Carefully walking down a narrow dirt path riddled with sand and sprawling exposed roots that anchor surrounding trees to the earth, I admire the wooded landscape. Dappled sunlight falls sporadically onto the foliage, including poison ivy that lines the trail in some places. Thick spiraling vines wrap around tree limbs, creating woody webs.
I catch a glimpse of water. It is not obvious. An abundance of plant life hides most of the water, which becomes clearer as I continue down the trail. I walk right up to an open gate. The ominous entrance frames a low bridge with dark water and tolerant plants on either side. Beyond the bridge is a boardwalk in the sunshine. I walk through the gate.
An open gate invites guests inside the bog. Pinhook Bog Trail is only accessible during open houses on summer weekends with a ranger.
This place is called Pinhook Bog. Located in northwest Indiana, it is a part of Indiana Dunes National Park, and its existence has been thousands of years in the making. After a glacier left a low spot in the land, the low spot filled with water. The water sat in the moraine that refused to let it go. The water, in turn, became very acidic. Perfect conditions were created to host a special plant called sphagnum moss. The moss grew over the water, eventually forming the ground and hosting plants of its own, including trees. It is layers of this moss that support the boardwalk, enabling me to walk through the bog without completely sinking.
The boardwalk squishes with each step I take. Water bubbles through holes in the boards and pours over the sides in a few really wet areas. Rain has been scarce. If it had been a rainy season, I would have needed to wear waterproof boots that literature about the bog recommends. The boardwalk serves as the designated trail over the spongy land called Pinhook Bog Trail. Another trail called the Upland Trail goes through a neighboring forest and overlooks the bog near the southern end. That trail is open all year. But the Pinhook Bog Trail takes one inside the bog. It is only accessible to the public during open houses held on summer weekends. A ranger is also always present.
Pitchers are lined with downward-facing barbs. Liquid inside the pitcher further entraps and digests those who slip inside the plant.
In the thick of the bog, the sun beats down. Dragonflies and moss alike shimmer in the sunshine. Beautiful plants grow. Large flowers with burgundy petals top long straight stems. Following the stems all the way down, I notice they are surrounded by cylindrical formations. Pitchers. The pitcher plant is in full bloom. The plants look unassuming. Quiet and still. Innocent. The insides of the pitchers are lined with downward facing barbs, and they hold liquid, and the liquid holds insects. An insect who intends on exploring the inside of the plant, will likely not make it back out due to the barbs preventing a secure grip and escape. Falling into the liquid, the insects are digested. The pitcher plant is carnivorous. It is also not the only plant that satiates its appetite with unsuspecting victims.
The end of the trail is marked by a vignette of still water, pine trees, and a few unassuming carnivores. The reddish coloring in the lower righthand corner is a patch of sundew.
The trail ends at a small picturesque area where exposed water sits gloomy and still. Kingbirds swoop down from trees, catching insects in the air. Surrounding the water and mixed in with the moss is a reddish ground cover. The plant is actually quite intricate. The red coloring comes from several red protrusions called trichomes that stick out from green leaves. They resemble tiny spines. On the tip of each trichome is a sparkling, sticky drop. The dazzling sundew plant waits for an insect to walk over it, at which point it will grab it, utilizing the sticky drops to hold onto the body and bending over to grip it. Another carnivore. I watch ants walk carefully around the spines. While looking at the tiny drops of the sticky substance, I see a dark speck of an insect of some sort. It had been in the plant’s grasp for some time.
The sundew plant looks like a harmless ground cover. A closer look, however, reveals tiny protrusions tipped with a sticky liquid that traps insects who walk over them.
While heading back the way I came in, I notice another open house guest in the bog who is clearly engrossed in something within a thicket. He points out a plant growing within the shrubbery’s depths. Crouching down, I search for an angle that allows my gaze to pass as many tangled branches as possible. Shying away and occupying a small patch of light, a pink lady’s slipper blooms. Delicate and pink, the little orchid glows amid the surrounding darkness. It reminds me of the enchanted rose in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. When one does find the pink lady’s slipper, its being forces one to pause and behold its splendor. The orchid is not carnivorous, so insects can safely crawl and fly around it.
A pink lady’s slipper blooms in a patch of light that persists in the darkness of dense shrubbery. The little orchids remain hidden from most guests in the bog.
Pinhook Bog is an fascinating corner of the earth, where peculiar plants are the main attraction for guests. The contrast of perceived beauty and perceived evil, as represented by these plants, is an interesting feature. This itself is worth exploring and contemplating long after one has made it out of the bog. Different seasons showcase different plants, making the bog, when open, worth revisiting time and time again. Fascinating secrets are held here, and the bog is not quick to reveal them, so, from the safety of the trail, take a close look at the quiet, intriguing lives that occupy this place.