Park Features
Pokagon has so much to do! There's the expected campground along with the beautiful Potawatomi Inn. The trails are wonderful and diverse, and the saddle barn is available for horse lovers. The park is full of year-round outdoor activities and so much history. In fact, the entire park is on the National Historic Registry because of the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The young men of the CCC were active at Pokagon from 1934 to 1942, building stone bridges and structures that are still all around the park.
The Hell’s Point Challenge
The day I went to the park, I was excited to take on the Hell's Point hiking challenge. It was the perfect way to discover the property. I learned Pokagon has a very rich Native American history. It was named for Leopold Pokagon and his son Simon, who were leaders of the Potawatomi nation. In the podcast episode, I share some of their story, and the park does a great job of telling its history in the nature center which is the first stop on the Hell’s Point Challenge.
The challenge is marked by yellow square signs with arrows pointing you which way to go. You pass significant park features like the County Road Bridge, which was originally built in 1936 by the CCC. It’s been redone since and is still in use. You also pass another CCC building, the Spring Shelter. This is your last place to fill up a water bottle on the challenge, so take advantage of it.
The challenge skirts along the edge of the Potawatomi Nature Preserve before looping north through the wetland, which turned out to be one of my favorite spots! Wetlands used to cover six million acres of the state, but in order to farm the land, clay tiles were used to drain it. This made for farmable land but could have other negative effects on flood control and pollution levels. In 1991, the park removed the drainage tiles in this area to return it to its wetland origins. Now, water that flows out of the area is actually better filtered and cleaner. In the wetland area, you can spot endangered turtles, as well as woodpeckers, swallows, and other animals.
Next, the Hell’s Point Challenge earns its name. About halfway through the route, 84 stairs take you to the top! As I gasped for breath, a couple kindly noted that I could have done the route the opposite direction and gone down all 84 stairs. Genius!
After the stairs, the challenge weaves through the Potawatomi Nature Preserve. It was one of the most diverse and beautiful areas, taking me through hardwood forests, pines, sandy hills, and marshes. I hiked across rocks and wooden boardwalks, through cattails and trees, before finally passing Lake Lonidaw, named for Simon Pokagon’s wife. By this point in the hike, I was getting a little tired, so seeing the Potawatomi Inn was a welcome place to pause.
The Potawatomi Inn
The inn is one of the first things you see when you drive into Pokagon. It's a striking entry point and made me feel like I was headed to a true lake vacation. Emily Burris, the inn's general manager, told me all about it. There are two restaurants: the main dining room and a grab-and-go cafe. She said, “We have a game room and arcade, exercise room, craft room, and gift shop.” For people staying there, especially in the winter, “We have a lot of really cozy seating areas in the hotel. We have five fireplaces that are gorgeous. It's got the beautiful windows across the front that look over the lake.” Emily especially recommended the inn during the winter because when it snows, “it's like working in a snow globe!” Sounds magical!
Near the inn is also the toboggan run, a must-do that opens after Thanksgiving and continues through the winter months. The quarter-mile track sends riders hurtling down the refrigerated track at 30 mph. Emily said, “It's like an ice roller coaster.” Riders rent a toboggan for the hour, then can ride as many times as possible. Emily’s tip to maximize rides is “have another person that's driving a vehicle down at the bottom.” Then you can save energy walking back uphill without dragging the toboggan behind you.
Finishing Up the Challenge
For the last stop, the Hell's Point Challenge takes you past the saddle barn. It’s open every day except Tuesday and Thursday. There are trail and pony rides available for people of all ages and abilities. The challenge finally ends up back at the nature center. My watch said I’d hiked 8.32 miles. I was tired but felt energized and alive with all the beauty I’d seen. It felt like every corner I turned on a trail opened up a new habitat or place of awe! You can experience that too when you visit Pokagon State Park. It’s a magical place where history, beauty, and fun exist together.
Planning Your Visit
If you love the lake life, be sure to visit Pokagon in the summer. If the winter scene is more your vibe, then you’ll want to go when the toboggan run is active. Also be on the lookout for their fun seasonal events like the fireworks show on the Fourth of July or the seaplane fly-in that happens every September. No matter when you go, the campground or inn will take care of your overnight visits.
Follow and Share
Want to join my IN the Parks journey? Check out the podcast, follow along on Instagram and Facebook, and be sure to share with a friend. Now, go make some of your own memories, and I hope to see you in the parks!
