After 4-hour (370 km) drive from Chicago we arrived at Walkup Lake in late afternoon. The plan was to set-up camp there, but in the end we decided to stay at Condon Lake further north along Alger Ave. The first night we were the only campers, but the other 4 sites filled-up the next day (just 5 other campers). We spent the evening setting-up our self-sufficient camp, cooking and relaxing at camp fire. We woke up several times during the night listening to wildlife sounds – people who camped at our spot the night before told us they heard a bear (?) across the lake.
The following two days we hiked on the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT). The trail meanders between lakes we could often see between trees from small moraine hills and further north passes through more flat area of forest filled with ferns and marshes, occasionally pine plantations. The trail is easy and well maintained. First we walked 9 km (18 km with return same way) south, past Walkup and Nichols Lakes to West 11 Mile Rd.
NCT From Condon Lake to West 11 Mile Rd
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The following day we walked 10Â km (20 km with return same way) north, past Highbank Lake to 96th St. The night brought quite heavy rain, but we discovered that our new, easy to move canopy fits perfectly over the top of our tent, so we stayed dry.
NCT from Condon Lake to 96th St
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On the fourth day, we made 8-km loop to Sawkaw, Little Half Moon and Kenosha Lakes, on the way back we explored the edge of marshes on the west side of N Alger Ave. We packed the camp and headed home late in the afternoon. This was our second, but not last,  hiking/camping  visit to Manistee Forest. We decided to camp on Kenosha Lake next time we come this way.
Condon Lake to Kenosha Lake
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Forest, lakes, marshes, forest roads, quiet trails, birds, frogs, fish, one very friendly cat, chipmunks and squirrels, one white-tailed deer (?, at night), no large animals. Few mosquitoes. We trained our camera on  non-photosynthetic (chlorophyll-less) plant Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora), fungi and mosses.
Indiana Dunes trail maps
