This post was submitted by Stephen Lehman
This is what my friends and I refer to as “The Hill”. The top provides an amazing view of Lake Michigan.
I made it out to Moon Valley around 6pm or so on a Thursday night. Golden hour was just beginning. I parked and began to walk north on the small sand trail. I stopped and took the first photo of the evening.
This was taken facing North across the small pond near Beachwalk during golden hour. The blues and golds are stunning.
The water was being whipped by the wind and the sun was accenting the gold in the beachgrass. I continued to follow the trail until I came upon a patch of trees. I passed through them and noticed some poison ivy (which I am very allergic to). The path was starting to become overgrown, but easily passible none-the-less. After passing through the trees, the landscape opened up and I could see “The Hill”. This is where I took another photo. The Hill has a sort of majesty about it. I couldn’t help but snap a photo. I decided to take the path that lead up the west side of The Hill. It looked much easier than climbing the south side.
This was taken from the west side of “The Hill”. The ascent is easier if you go up the west side.
I snapped another photo from the west side as I was ascending. It is definitely a work out to get to the top, but it is very rewarding. From the top, I could see the Blue Chip tower, the Washington Park lighthouse, Lake Michigan, and so many other things. On a clear day, you can see the Chicago skyline perfectly. I looked behind me and saw the whole west section of Moon Valley. This is where I snapped my final photo. I highly recommend making the climb. There is even a tree on top that you could climb if you really wanted to. As the sun was going down, I decided to let my camera start a time-lapse (shown in video). I finally made the trek back to my car as the sun had set. Overall, the experience was wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone!
From the top of The Hill, you can see a large part of Moon Valley’s west side.
Directions & Suggestions Go to Washington Park in Michigan City and then travel east on Lake Shore Drive. The Beachwalk entrance will be on the south side of the road, right across from the small Stop 7 parking lot. Follow the main road all the way back and you will see the gravel parking lot. I suggest wearing long pants and maybe even some bug spray. The sand ticks are ferocious in this area, especially after rain and during the sunset.
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