Lupines, those gorgeous spring specimens that are some of the most beautiful wildflowers here, are in full bloom now. Here are the best hikes to see them.

First up: The Paul H. Douglas Trail in Miller. This 3.4 mile in-and-out hike takes you past gorgeous fields of lupine, past an inland lake and eventually to a beach on Lake Michigan. The trail is hard-packed sand and is mostly flat. Part of the trail is wheelchair-accessible and leads to a viewing platform with a pretty view.

Make a day of it by stopping before or after for a drink, coffee or a nosh at Tiny’s Coffee Bar (opens at 3 pm. Wednesday through Friday; at 11 Saturday and Sundays). It’s a locally owned spot with eclectic furnishings. You could also grab lunch at Caribbean Roots, a Jamaican restaurant that’s open Tuesdays-Thursdays 11 am-6 p.m.; til 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. After a cappuccino, bagel and lox or jerk chicken, head to the Miller School Shops, open Thursdays through Sundays in the afternoon. The consignment and retail shop there, Swank Boutique, has some real finds; designer clothing and accessories at bargain-basement prices. I snagged some like-new Athleta joggers for $15. Other vendors in the three-level building sell candles, pottery, jewelry and vintage barware, among other things.

The other great place to commune with the lupine is the Long Lake trail in West Beach in Ogden Dunes, a 2.6-mile loop that has a few hills and lots of loose sand. Besides lupine, lots of other great spring flowers hang out here, including flowering dogwood, viburnum, prickly pear cactus, Plains puccoon (the yellow flowers pictured here), mayapple and more. Toward the end of the trail, up a small hill, you’re rewarded with a great view of Lake Michigan.

Note that both trails are part of the Indiana Dunes National Park and require a pass. Lupines will be in bloom another two to four weeks, so get out there soon!