We stopped at the Indiana Dunes N.P. on our way home from the Grand Canyon. We had never heard of this Park (National Seashore during our visit). However, as we traveled along I90 we saw those famous brown signs and decided to stop and enjoy what the park had to offer.
This park covers a lot of areas and offers a number of different activities. You can enjoy hiking, swimming, and learning about the history of this area around the shore of the great Lake Michigan.
Indiana Dunes N.P. Location
Click on the tab in the upper lefthand corner to view the different locations.
The National Park spans three counties and fifteen cities. Therefore, you can take a few different routes to reach Indiana Dunes, National Park. Interstate 94, the Indiana Toll Road (Interstate 80/90), U.S. Highways 12 and 20, Indiana State Road 49, and other state roads will get you to the Park.
The Visitor Center is located on Indiana State Road 49. From Indiana Toll Road (Interstate 80/90), take exit 31 north. From Interstate 94, take exit 26 north.
In addition, highway 12 will give you access to the majority of the national park’s facilities
Things to Do at Indiana Dunes National Park
Start at the Visitor Center
We always recommend starting at the Visitor Center. Here you can pick up the official national park map and guide. In addition, there are uniformed Park Rangers that can answer your questions. You can also stamp your Passport, and get the Junior Ranger guidebook.
The Indiana Dunes visitor center has plenty of parking for cars, buses, and thankfully Rvs. There are great displays about Indiana Dunes National Park, Porter County. You can enjoy two short orientation videos to learn all bout the Park and surrounding area.
Since this National Park covers so much area we highly recommend starting here.
Visit the Center for Environmental Education
The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is a great stop if you are looking to go hiking. It is also a great place to learn about the surrounding environment.
The Center will bring you to a great hiking trail. This trial has many options for short or longer hikes through the oak savanna, wetlands, and dune and swale habitats.
The center will connect you to the surrounding natural environment through educational hands-on exhibits, ranger-guided hikes, lectures, live animals, and nature-based arts and crafts.
Explore the Beaches | Go for a Swim
As mentioned, this was an unplanned stop for us. However, we did find time to go for a swim in Lake Michigan. Fortunately, there are a number of beaches to choose from.
We will say that Western Beach is certainly a great place to start. It has the largest parking lot of any of the national park beaches. There is also a bathhouse with a concession stand and outdoor picnic tables.
Below you will find information on the different beaches to help you make your decision.
Regardless of which beach you choose, you won’t be disappointed
West Beach | Indiana Dunes National Park
- Fee: $6 per vehicle/$30 per bus
- Lifeguards: yes, from Memorial Day to Labor Day
- Pet-Friendly: Leashed pets are allowed on the trails, but not the swimming beach. Pets may walk through the swimming beach area to get to trails, but cannot remain on the beach.
Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk | Indiana Dunes National Park
- Fee: None.
- Lifeguards: None. Swim at your own risk. Be sure to check the weather and water conditions before swimming.
- Pet-Friendly: Leashed pets are allowed.
- Parking: 125 parking spaces.
Porter Beach | Indiana Dunes National Park
- Fee: None.
- Lifeguards: None. Swim at your own risk. Be sure to check the weather and water conditions before swimming.
- Pet-Friendly: Leashed pets are allowed.
- Parking: A small lot with 66 parking spaces and restrooms.
Indiana Dunes State Park Beach
- Fee: $7 for in-state plates/$12 for out-of-state plates
- Lifeguards: yes, from Memorial Day to mid-August
- Pet-Friendly: Leashed pets are allowed everywhere in the state park except for the swimming beach.
- Parking: 1800 spaces. The main lot and west lot are right on the beach.
Go For a Hike
Hiking is also a great way to explore Indiana Dunes National Park.
The park offers more than 50 miles of trails. Included below are a few of the featured trails throughout the Park.
Paul H. Douglas Trail | Located at the Education Center
- Featured hike: Moderate, 3.4 miles in length, hike time of 2 hours.
- This hike through Miller Woods winds through several habitats including wetlands, globally rare black oak savanna, open dunes and beach. The views of the lake and the dunes are incredible.
Calumet Dunes Trail
- Featured hike: Easy, 0.5 miles in length, hike time of 20 minutes.
- This short hike on a paved trail features the Calumet Dunes ridge, which was the shoreline of Lake Michigan over 12,000 years ago.
Cowles Bog Trail
- Featured hike: Moderate to rugged, 4.7 miles in length, hike time of 4 hours.
- This hike highlights an area of such outstanding plant diversity that it was designated as a National Natural Landmark. Explore several distinct habitats including ponds, marshes, swamps, black oak savannas and beaches.
Glenwood Dunes Trails
- Featured hike: Moderate, 6.8 miles in length, hike time of 4 hours.
- This extensive trail system features interconnected loops in mature woods ranging from less than a mile to nearly 15 miles and is popular with hikers, runners, horseback riders, and cross-country skiers.
Camping at Indiana Dunes National Park
The National Park offers one campground for visitors.
The Dunewood Campground is a small campground with 66 campsites.
It is made up of two loops containing 53 conventional drive-in sites and 13 walk/carry-in sites.
For those traveling in an Rv, there are no hookups in the Dunewood Campground.
Reservations can be made at Recreation.Gov
We would love to add a review. Unfortunately, we did not stay at this particular campground. When we made the original reservations we had not heard of Indiana Dunes and stayed at a private campground. Unfortunately, the campground we did stay at has been sold and is no longer available.
Conclusion
There is plenty to do while stopping to explore Indiana Dunes National Park.
We always recommended partaking in the Jr Ranger Program. Regardless of your age, this program will help you learn all about the park.
Exploring the beaches and the dunes will leave you breathless.
If swimming is not your thing there are over 50 miles of hiking trails. Each trail explores the unique environment around the park.
Hopefully, we have inspired a few to visit and explore Indiana Dunes National Park.
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Have you visited Indiana Dunes National Park? How was your experience? Is there something you would like to learn about Indiana Dunes N.P.?
