A Bit Of An Unexpected Natural Wonder, Few People Know There Are Sand Dunes Hiding In Ohio
By Sarah McCosham|Published April 27, 2023
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
The Midwest is quite blessed in the sand dunes department, with both Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes National Park conveniently within reach for most. But don’t discount Ohio in terms of sand dunes; there are some marvelous dunes all across the northern perimeter of the state, including one criminally overlooked park that’s an unexpected natural wonder.
This is Indiana Dunes, a stunning lakeside national park that's the perfect destination for your Midwest beach vacation.
What this is, friends, is Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve. Located adjacent to the eponymous Headlands Dunes State Park, it's one of the last of its kind in the Buckeye State -- but sadly, it's also one of the most criminally overlooked natural wonders in Ohio.
Over the years, accumulations of switchgrass and beach grass have collected at Headlands Dunes, creating "mats" perfect for collecting drifts of sand. Wind and erosion caused sand to blow into swirly hills and dynamic dunes, creating a landscape unlike any other in the Buckeye State.
Switchgrass and beach grass have an adaptation shared by many dune plants, such as cottonwood, red osier, Canada wild-rye, and sandbar willow. Despite an accumulation of sand around its crown, these coastal plants continue to grow upward through the sand at this Ohio preserve.
In addition to the otherworldly sand dunes, this preserve also presents visitors with picture-perfect views of Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light, a lovely lighthouse standing guard over the shores of Lake Erie.
In "Jurassic Park" Jeff Goldblum says that "life finds a way." And indeed, despite years of erosion and development and storms, life has found a way to preserve and protect the lovely sand dunes at Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve.
