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Nature reserve · Indiana

Cowles Bog National Natural Landmark

Cowles Bog National Natural Landmark from directly overhead

Cowles Bog National Natural Landmark is a nature reserve in Indiana, at a modelled elevation of 185 m. Mount Lieber stands 214 m to the west-southwest, 7.7 miles off. The nearest named place is Mount Leman, a peak 0.5 miles away. The Indiana Lincoln Highway Byway passes 11 miles off. 43 named summits stand within 25 miles.

Visiting

What to expect

Operated by
National Park Service

Official site

Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates41.64268, -87.09361
Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Historic sites
Nature reserves
Parks
  • Indian Springs Park: 1.8 mi
  • Hawthorne Park: 2.0 mi
  • Lakewood Park: 2.5 mi
  • Indiana Dunes State Park: 2.8 mi
  • Chesterton Park: 3.0 mi
Peaks: 43
  • Mount Leman: 0.5 mi
  • Mount Tim: 0.6 mi
  • Petingill Dune: 0.8 mi
  • Mount Bentley: 0.8 mi
  • Mount Tuthill: 1.1 mi
Artworks: 43
  • Tuskegee Airmen: 8.6 mi
  • Octave Chanute: 8.6 mi
  • Father Marquette Monument: 8.8 mi
  • Duet: 11.6 mi
  • Orville Redenbacher: 12.2 mi
Attractions: 36
Beaches: 35
  • Dune Acres Beach: 0.7 mi
  • Ridge Beach: 1.1 mi
  • Bailly Beach: 1.1 mi
  • East Beach: 1.2 mi
  • Porter Beach: 1.6 mi
Museums: 22
Gardens: 21
  • Entrance Garden: 5.3 mi
  • Formal Garden: 5.7 mi
  • Hosta Garden: 5.7 mi
  • Daylily Garden: 5.7 mi
  • Veterans Memorial Plaza: 11.1 mi
Picnic sites: 10
Lighthouses: 5
Rest areas: 3
  • Rest Area Trucks Only: 9.6 mi
  • Indiana Welcome Center: 16.8 mi
  • Michigan Welcome Center 707: 20.0 mi
Ghost towns: 1
Waterfalls: 1
  • 1 Foot Falls: 6.9 mi
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of Cowles Bog National Natural Landmark. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Mount LieberWSW 256°214 m7.7 mi
Chanute HillW 259°195 m9.1 mi
Mount HoldenNE 54°194 m2.6 mi
Mount TomNE 54°193 m2.4 mi
Mount JacksonENE 58°192 m2.6 mi
Mount BaldyENE 62°185 m9.7 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox06:5318:2419:01
June solstice05:1519:4520:27
September equinox06:3618:1118:47
December solstice07:1315:3716:22

Local time (America/Chicago).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F252838485969737265544231
Precip in2.22.02.33.64.34.34.04.13.63.82.82.3

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Indiana Dunes NP, under a mile away.

In the park

Inside the official boundary of Indiana Dunes National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Jan and Feb; busiest: Jul.

NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).

Wildlife nearby
  • Eastern Skunk Cabbage244 obs
  • Sundial Lupine164 obs
  • cinnamon fern155 obs
  • American Robin151 obs
  • hairy puccoon145 obs
  • sassafras138 obs
  • American Red Squirrel137 obs
  • red columbine135 obs

Research-grade iNaturalist community observations within 3 km — what people have recorded, not a species inventory.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOfficial site

OpenStreetMap element way/469327629

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