In some instances, nature can reveal a frightening and underestimated aspect of itself. Known for its minimal effort, nature has the power to destroy buildings, infrastructure, and even cities, posing a significant threat to human life. Despite humanity’s unprecedented technological advancements, we still fall short in addressing or deciphering some of its enduring mysteries. One such enigma is the phenomenon of dangerous sand dune openings at Bald Mountain in Indiana, USA. These openings appear suddenly and randomly beneath people’s feet, swallowing them whole and closing up behind them, posing a mortal danger if no one is nearby to offer assistance.
Bald Mountain, a massive sand dune located in the Indiana Dunes National Park, spans 15,000 acres along the extensive shoreline of Lake Michigan. The park is renowned for its beaches, sometimes referred to as America’s Fourth Coast. It is famous for its sand dunes, particularly the imposing Bald Mountain, which rises 38 meters and is the largest sand dune on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Popular among hikers who ascend to enjoy breathtaking views of the lake, the area also boasts a popular sunbathing spot. Numerous hiking trails for bird-watching surround these dunes, and the nearby beach attracts swimmers from all over the United States.
Despite the picturesque beauty of Bald Mountain’s dunes, they are also known as “walking dunes” or “living dunes,” indicating their tendency to move over time. Typically, these dunes shift between 1.5 to 2 meters per year. However, due to erosion and loss of vegetation caused by heavy visitor traffic, their movement has increased dramatically to between 3 and 6 meters annually over the past decade. This rapid movement is alarming, given the dune’s size, which has the potential to engulf trees, rocks, vehicles, and even buildings.
The mystery of Bald Mountain extends beyond its rapid movement. The intrigue deepened in 2013 when a young boy, Nathan Wessner, was suddenly swallowed by a sand dune while walking on the dunes. At just six years old, he vanished without warning into a hole that opened beneath him, resembling a mouth ready to devour its prey. Fortunately, nearby people heard the boy’s cries and rushed to his aid, discovering him fully submerged. By the time rescuers arrived, the boy was buried under 3.5 meters of sand. After an 11-hour ordeal, he was finally rescued alive from his sandy prison.
Despite this incident, geologists have been skeptical about the story, given that such holes are not easily formed in sand dunes, which are composed of granular particles with no air pockets and lack flowing water beneath them to form such holes. However, subsequent appearances of similar holes and reports from other visitors who experienced the phenomenon have confirmed that this is a genuine concern. Hikers on Bald Mountain have reported sudden openings beneath their feet, though these holes rarely exceed 1.5 meters in depth and have not resulted in fatalities. Nevertheless, the dunes are clearly a hazardous place, and it is only a matter of time before someone suffers serious injury or worse.
It is noteworthy that these holes are generally of similar diameter and seem to appear and disappear without warning. Most of them open for only a single day before closing up completely, as if they were never there. This prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a survey using ground-penetrating radar, revealing 66 unusual spots beneath the sand dunes. However, due to the transient nature of these holes, it has been challenging to study them properly or establish a connection between these occurrences and the holes themselves.
Although several holes have been identified, their origin remains unknown, baffling scientists who have studied sediment, analyzed wind patterns, and mapped the area’s topography. Geologist Erin Argilan, one of the dedicated researchers trying to solve the mystery of Bald Mountain’s openings, has stated that these holes represent a new geological phenomenon. She noted that they differ from the sinkholes seen in news reports that swallow homes and vehicles, as those typically occur when rock surfaces degrade over time due to water damage.
Currently, these mysterious holes pose a threat to thousands of visitors who come to see the sand dunes each year. To ensure public safety and prevent further casualties, the National Park Service has closed access to Bald Mountain and restricted entry to the surrounding area until more is understood about the situation. Numerous signs and barriers have been installed to keep people away, and park rangers patrol to enforce these measures. Efforts are underway to manage erosion through the planting of Marram grass, which helps stabilize the sand with its roots.
In the near future, researchers plan to continue monitoring and studying these holes, but for now, only hypotheses exist. One theory suggests that decaying buried trees under the sand might be responsible for the phenomenon, especially as the movement rate of Bald Mountain’s dunes has increased alarmingly in recent years due to erosion from human activities such as historical sand mining for glass production. These factors may have led to the dunes swallowing trees or other structures beneath the sand, which, over time, become unstable and create these holes. The unresolved question remains: why do these massive sand dunes seem to try to swallow people alive? Until answers are found, Bald Mountain will retain its secrets, continuing its relentless march across the land, consuming everything in its path.
