A beachy getaway is just a drive away from Chicago, in Indiana. Indiana Dunes National Park protects 15 miles of Lake Michigan and offers over 1.500 native plants. However, it’s more than a beach. It is also a haven for birds and sunbathers. Visitors will find wetlands, a black oak savannah and towering sand dunes. Here are the best things to do in Indiana Dunes National Park.
14 BEST Things to Do in Indiana Dunes National Park
Stop by the Visitor Centers
Stroll the Beach
Take a Scenic Drive
Visit the Indiana Dunes State Park
See the Century of Progress Homes
Visit the Bailly Homestead
Stop by Chellberg Farms
See Miller Woods
Go for a Hike
Bike the Rail Trail
Go Birding
Earn a Ranger Badge
Picnic in the Park
Camp in the Park
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Visitor Centers in Indiana Dunes National Park
Visitors will find two visitor centers in the park. This is the place to grab maps or junior ranger booklets. Park rangers or volunteer rangers will be stationed at each.
Each offers interpretive areas, and some feature a short film about the park. This is where most seasonal park ranger programming starts. Most visitor centers also offer restrooms and water bottle fillers.
Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center (Indiana Dunes Visitor Center)
The Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center is the main visitor center for the park. In addition to interpretive displays, visitors can watch Child of the Northwest Wind or The Indiana Dunes: Our Natural Wonder films, each of which is 12 minutes long.
Located at 1215 IN-49, Porter, IN. Open daily 8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education
This area is a gateway to the Paul H. Douglas Trail through Miller Woods. Here, visitors will find many interdunal ponds along the trail.
Explore the Douglas Center to check out the animal room and new exhibits.
Located at 100 North Lake Street, Gary, IN. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round.
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Indiana Dunes Beaches
Visiting a beach is one of the top things to do in Indiana Dunes National Park. In total, there are 15 miles of Beaches. Most offer restrooms and picnic tables, close to the parking areas. The largest beach offers summer lifeguards. This is one of the top things to do in Indiana Dunes National Park.
West Beach
West Beach offers locker rooms and showers. There are also eight covered picnic shelters.
Lifeguards are on duty between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Located at 376 North County Line Road, Gary. Its parking lot accommodates over 650 vehicles.
Kemil Beach
Kemil Beach is close to the Homes of Progress. However, no summer lifeguards on duty at this beach.
Located one mile north of U.S. Highway 12 on East State Park Road (300E), Beverly Shores. The parking lot accommodates over 95 vehicles.
Dunbar Beach
Dunbar Beach offers year-round restrooms and potable water. It’s also close to the Homes of Progress. However, no summer lifeguards on duty at this beach.
Located at the intersection of Dunbar Avenue and Lake Front Drive, Beverly Shores. The parking lot features 24 spaces.
Mount Baldy Beach
Towering 126 feet above Lake Michigan, Mount Baldy is a sand dune. However, the Mount Baldy Hiking Trail is prohibited unless on a ranger tour.
The Mount Baldy Beach offers year-round restrooms and potable water. There’s a picnic shelter and two additional picnic tables at the parking lot.
Located at 101 Rice Street (U.S. Highway 12), Michigan City. The parking lot features 89 spaces.
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Lakeview Beach
Lake View Beach features year-round restrooms and potable water. There, you’ll find covered picnic shelters close to the Homes of Progress. However, no summer lifeguards on duty at this beach.
Located 1/8 mile west of the intersection of Lake Front Drive and Broadway Street, Beverly Shores. The parking lot offers 25 spaces.
Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Beach
Riverwalk Beach features a 3,500-square-foot pavilion and year-round restrooms and potable water.
Located at 100 Riverwalk Road, Portage, IN. This site offers 97 parking spots in three separate lots.
Porter Beach
Porter Beach features two parking lots (the south is a gravel lot). There are seasonal restrooms and potable water. However, no summer lifeguards on duty at this beach.
This area offers a wheelchair accessible trail and a beach mat to get to the beach.
Located at the Intersection of Wabash Avenue and Johnson Beach Road, Porter, IN
Caution for Rip Currents
Rip currents can occur on Lake Michigan, like an ocean. Know what rip currents look like and use caution while swimming. Don’t swim alone, and check the local beach forecast for warnings.
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Scenic Drives in Indiana Dunes
There are several roads for scenic views in Indiana Dunes National Park. The Dunes Highway, also known as U.S. Route 12, is a 21-mile scenic road that crosses the park. It mainly goes through the woodlands.
Travel along Lake Front Drive in Beverly Shores to view Lake Michigan and the five historic Century of Progress Homes. This is the beachview road.
Stagecoach Road in Portage is where to see the ancient sand dunes covered in oak savanna and woodland.
Indiana Dunes State Park
Indiana Dunes State Park includes over 2,000 acres and close to three miles of shoreline, including a swimming beach, a nature center and a restored pavilion with food and drink. It also offers over 16 miles of hiking trails, including the popular 3 Dunes Challenge.
Indiana Dunes State Park highlights include The Pavilion, a restored historical landmark. Originally opening in 1930, The Pavilion offers a general store, a cafe and a rooftop, located at 1600 N 25 E., Chesterton.
The campground features 140 campsites with 50-amp service, flush toilets, hot water and showers. There are multiple covered picnic tables. Dunes Nature Preserve encompasses 1,530 acres and is undeveloped, except for trails, boardwalks and the Wetlands Observation Platform.
Located at 1600 N. 25 E., Chesterton, IN. The grounds are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. for day use. The nature center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This park requires a separate admission $7 for an in-state license plate day-use fee and $15 for an out-of-state license plate day-use fee.
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See the Century of Progress Homes
At the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, five homes featured cutting-edge technology at the time. Each house featured modern appliances, innovative materials and new construction techniques.
After the World’s Fair, they were moved by barge to the shores of Northwest Indiana. The homes are being restored with private funds through a partnership with Indiana Landmarks.
The House of Tomorrow is 241 W. Lake Front Dr., Beverly Shores.
Florida Tropical House is located at 127 W. Lake Front Dr.
Armco Ferro House is located at 251 W. Lake Front Dr.
The Wieboldt-Rostone house is located at 270 W. Lake Front Dr.
Four are private residences and are only open once a year for tours. Please view from the street. The Cypress Log Cabin is available for overnight stays. It is located at 215 Lake Front Dr., Beverly Shores.
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Visit the Bailly Homestead
This is the former home of an independent fur-trader, Joseph Bailly. Around 1824, Bailly and his wife, Marie, established a trading post along the Little Calumet River.
This homestead was an important stopping point between Detroit and Fort Dearborn (present-day Chicago). The area was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962.
This area offers several hiking trails, including Chellberg Farms. It is located at 733 Howe Rd., Porter
Stop by Chellberg Farms
The Chellbergs were Swedish immigrants. Swedes have been in the area since the 1840s, and by the 1880s, this area of Indiana was home to a large community from Sweden.
After moving to the area for work, the Chellberg Family purchased their 80-acre farm in 1874. After a fire destroyed the first house, a two-story brick house replaced it.
Visitors can also see the Sugar Maples in the area. In March, the park holds the Annual Maple Sugar Time, where visitors learn about harvesting maple sap and making maple syrup.
Located at 1100 N Mineral Springs Rd., Porter.
Visit the Miller Woods
Traveling through several habitats, including wetlands, globally rare black oak savanna, open dunes and beach, visitors can use the Paul H. Douglas Trail. It offers several options, including a 3.4-mile beach trail.
The trailhead is located at 100 North Lake Street, Gary. This is also the location of the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education, open Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Hiking in Indiana Dunes National Park
Hikers will find 15 distinct trail systems covering more than 50 miles of trails in this park. The hikes in Indiana Dunes National Park range from boardwalks in the dunes, to paved trails in the prairies to woodland trails.
Dune Ridge Trail—A .7-mile trail through the wetlands and forests south of this tall, forested dune.
Great Marsh Trail—A 1.3-mile trail with an observation deck and views of wetlands for birding.
Hoosier Prairie Trail—A 0.7-mile trail through a prairie landscape.
Mount Baldy Beach Trail—A .75-mile trail with 75 feet of elevation gain on loose sand to the beach.
Dunes Succession Loop 1–A 0.9-mile loop trail between the parking lot and the bathhouse at West Beach. This area offers three loop trails near the beach and Long Lake.
Biking in Indiana Dunes
Biking is one of the best ways to explore Indiana Dunes National Park. Visitors will find an interconnected trail system that spans 37 miles across the entire length of the national park.
Calumet Bike Trail—A gravel, but flat 19-mile round-trip trail.
Dunes Kankakee Bike Trail—A 3.6-mile paved, flat round-trip trail.
Marquette Bike Trail—A 4.6-mile gravel round-trip rail trail.
Porter Brickyard Bike Trail—A hilly 7.0-mile round-trip trail.
Savannah Oak Bike Trail—A 17.8-mile paved round-trip rail trail.
Prairie Duneland Bike Trail—A 22.4-mile paved round-trip rail trail.
Horseback Riding in Indiana Dunes
This park offers one equestrian trail: Glenwood Dunes Trail. Guided horseback riding is not available in Indiana Dunes National Park.
Located at 1475 North Brummitt Road, Chesterton, IN. The parking area is large enough for a horse trailer.
Birding in Indiana Dunes
Positioned along Lake Michigan, Indiana Dunes is an important feeding and resting area for migrating birds. From hawks to wetland birds to waterfowl, they all congregate inside the park.
Beverly Shores
Heron Rookery
Miller Woods
West Beach
More than 350 species live or migrate through the area. The park hosts its annual Indiana Dunes Birding Festival in May.
Kids and Pets in Indiana Dunes National Park
Traveling with your kids or pets is part of the fun. Indiana Dunes makes a great trip with lots of activities and things to see.
Junior Ranger Program
The Junior Ranger Program is the go-to program for families to learn more about a National Park. It’s free and takes about two hours to complete. My kids love the badges that the park rangers present them after completing their booklets.
The Junior Ranger Beachcombers patch is also available. For those spending the night in the park, the Night Explorer patch is also available. The best night sky viewing is at Kemil Beach, which is open 24 hours a day.
BARK Program
Indiana Dunes National Park welcomes pets as long as they practice the principles of the BARK program. For more information, visit the page for visiting with pets.
B–Bag waste and dispose of it in the trash
A–Always leash your dog for their safety and others
R–Respect wildlife
K–Know where you can go
Picnic Areas in Indiana Dunes National Park
There are two reservable and covered picnic areas: West Beach and Chellburg Farms.
The park offers covered and uncovered picnic tables.
Covered
- Mount Baldy and Beach
- Lake View Beach
- Tremont
- Glenwood Dunes Horse and Hiking Trail
- Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk
Uncovered
- Central Avenue Beach
- Pinhook Bog
- Dunbar Beach
- Indiana Dunes Visitor Center
- Porter Beach
- Tolleston Dunes Trail
- Paul H.Douglas Center for Environmental Education
Camping in Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park offers camping. There is the Dunbar Group Site for up to 30 people at Dunbar Beach.
Central Avenue Walk-In Sites with limited services, including no water and a port-a-potty. There are five sites in this area.
Dunewood Campground
- Open Seasonally from April 1 to October 31
- Reservations Recommended
- 66 sites
- Seasonal Potable Water with Flushing toilets + H/C Showers
- Dump Station
Where’s Indiana Dunes National Park
Located in Northern Indiana, the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is located on Indiana State Road 49, between U.S. Highway 20 and Interstate 94, at 1215 IN-49, Porter. It is open year-round from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. A 7-day vehicle pass is $25, or you can use an America the Beautiful Pass.
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