Into the Wild

Hammond Lakefront Park & Bird Sanctuary

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Lake County, IN

Not far from the Indiana-Illinois border along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, tucked amid a landscape of steel plants, oil refinery fields, and casino boats, is a true oasis for both nature seekers and migrating birds: the Hammond Lakefront Park and Bird Sanctuary. This sliver of land—only 16 total acres of lakefront, 9 of which are designated a bird sanctuary—is considered one of Indiana’s best bird-watching sites.

As part of the Lake Michigan flyway, an important migration route for many songbirds, the bird sanctuary provides avian commuters a much-needed layover. Local birders originally called the site the “migrant trap,” a term ornithologists often use to describe a place that attracts large concentrations of birds.

During the migration period (generally September to mid-October and March to May), Hammond’s bird sanctuary attracts upwards of 200 to 250 bird species. The majority of these birds are passerines, migrating songbirds. Regular visitors include creepers, kinglets, sparrows, thrushes, warblers, wrens, and vireos. A respectable number of water birds and even some birds of prey, like the snowy owl and peregrine falcon, sojourn here. Relative rarities such as LeConte’s sparrows and northern goshawks also make appearances. In 1996, the sighting of a kelp gull, a coastal Southern Hemisphere species, set a North American inland record.

Upon entering the bird sanctuary, which is owned and managed by the City of Hammond, visitors step onto a well-marked footpath that winds past towering cottonwood trees, blooming New England asters, and an occasional jutting concrete slab. In the 1950s, the land was used as a concrete dumping ground following a major oil refinery explosion in Whiting, Indiana. Today, wild vegetation tangles with much of this urban debris, providing suitable habitat for weary birds. Large blocks of rubble tumble down a man-made bluff and spill out onto the beachfront below. At the same time, glimpses north through tree leaves provide fine vistas of Lake Michigan.

Walking deeper into the sanctuary, you can lose sight of the industrial surroundings and be granted a moment filled purely with nature. Red-winged blackbirds may skirt past as the trees fill with birdcalls.

Recent improvements to the site have made it safer and more accessible, encouraging visitors beyond the hardcore birding set to linger. Along the footpath, a quiet area with benches now gives visitors a place to rest as they scan the trees and listen to the birds. For those not familiar with our feathered friends, kiosks at the east entrance and near the sitting area provide details about the site and visiting birds.

The bird sanctuary is open from dawn to dusk. No pets, bikes, or motorized vehicles are allowed on the path. For more information, call (219) 659-7678.

—Laura Semko