Trail Expansions and More at Lydick Bog

It was in 1912 that Lydick Bog was originally discovered by Father Julius Nieuwland, a chemist and botanist at the University of Notre Dame. He noted his discovery of the unique ecosystem in a journal, and then, for more than a century, Lydick Bog was forgotten.

It was rediscovered in 2014, and shortly after, the Shirley Heinze Land Trust arrived to purchase the land in order to ensure its long-term protection.

Led primarily by volunteers, Lydick Bog has been transformed into a natural gem just a few miles west of the South Bend International Airport. The nature preserve features hiking trails, a boardwalk, and interpretive signage.

And now, thanks in part to a recent Special Project Grant from the Community Foundation, Lydick Bog is better than ever, with an additional mile of trails and 93 newly protected acres.

The new trail expansion connects the bog to Pine Road and to the Indiana Dinosaur Museum’s trail system. The protection of additional lands means more room for native plants and animals to flourish in one of the few places they can.

Lydick Bog is one of the only remaining bogs in Indiana, and thanks to community support, it will remain so for a very long time.