PLAN YOUR VISIT

The Richardson Preserve, also known as the Hidden Hundred, is located off of Highway 35 between Michigan City and LaPorte @ 5265 N. Pawnee Trail in Springfield Township, LaPorte County.

The site is open to the public. Come Visit Us!

The Hidden Hundred represents a relatively intact high-quality forested area, which is rare in the Indiana Coastal Zone. The wooded areas are in various stages of succession and cover both uplands and lowlands. Several emergent wetlands dominated by sedges and grasses also exist on the property. These wetlands are fed by streams, springs, and seeps. At least two clear, cold, sand-bottom streams flow through the site and support a rich and stable community dominated by native plants.

A glacial contact boundary from the last major glaciation (about 14,000 years ago) cuts across the Preserve. The immense slab of flowing ice transported soils from Canada and rich till was deposited at the toe of the glacier. As the glacier retreated back north, sandy soils were deposited. By examining the topography and the soil types, geologists can map where the giant glacier covered part of the preserve and where it stopped its advance to the south.

There is enough heterogeneity in the landscape to support at least six types of plant communities, which in turn provide habitat for a diversity of fauna. Nearly 300 plant species have been identified at the Preserve, with about 80% of those species being native to the region.

More than twenty fungi species have been recorded. This relatively large area of contiguous natural landscape provides excellent habitat for a variety of animals such as insects, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. Both migratory and non-migratory bird species have found the Hidden Hundred.

Over 105 different bird species have been documented at the Preserve. Common observations have included hawks, hummingbirds, owls, sparrows, warblers and several types of woodpeckers. Let us know what you see!