Hell's Point is the third-highest point in Steuben County. In the last ice age, the last great glacial lobe of this area, the Wisconsin Glacier, covered this area. When it started to recede and melt, it helped to form the Hell's Point kame. The glacier carried a lot of debris with it, and when it started to melt, some of that debris washed out of the glacier, carried along by the meltwater. Some of this debris-laden water cascaded off the ice sheet into crevasses or over ice ridges and formed kames, or sharp crested hills, such as Hell's Point.
The entire trail from the parking lot behind the Potawatomi Inn around to Hell's Point and back is approximately 2.2 miles round-trip. Enjoy your walk through the Potawatami Nature Preserve, and the variety of habitats - the trail winds through marsh lands, hardwood forests, pines and sand hills, and offers a lovely panoramic view from Hell's Point.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE GLACIATION: The entire area was formed by the final glacial episode that directly influenced Indiana. This glacial episode built the Fort Wayne Moraine,which forms two sides of a triangle, with the apex at Fort Wayne. A Moraine is defined as "An accumulation of boulders, stones, or other debris carried and deposited by a glacier." Most, if not all, the stones and boulders in this area, therefore, are the result of glacial deposits. Once the glacier stalled with its large cargo of boulders, rocks, and debris right over Northeast Indiana, it rapidly melted, depositing them in the Northeast corner. The lake stage rose until it overtopped the moraine at Fort Wayne, and rapidly eroded an outlet through the moraine, flooding the entire Wabash Valley. The Maumee Torrent, as it is called, was the last major dynamic geological event to shape Indiana's landscape.
LOGGING REQIREMENTS: Once you've arrived at the Hell's Point observation boardwalk, you need to take two elevation readings - one at the bottom of the stairs, and one at the top. Email us with BOTH elevation readings, and the difference in elevation you recorded.
These numbersMUST be emailed to us within 24 hours of your online log, or it will be deleted.
NOTE: Logs containing the elevation numbers will be deleted. NOTE: your GPSr may not get the best reception here, so it's best to take several readings at each location and then average them.
In your online log, you also must indicate how many people were in your party. You must also post 2 pictures with you and your GPSr in the picture - one at the top of the stairs (at the Observation Platform) and one at the bottom. Again, failure to post pictures will result in the deletion of your log.
EXTRA CREDIT: If you also do the Lake James Earthcache, take an elevation reading there, as well, and notice the difference in overall elevation between Lake James and the top of Hell's Point.