indiana dunes state park

I have lived 2 miles from Dunes State Park for over 20 years. Others have focused on the beach, so I will focus on what I go to the Dunes for - bird watching and trail walking. Indiana Dunes State Park is a great place to experience nature fairly close to metropolitan Chicago. The park has a fairly extensive trail system - so flat, some hilly, some more open, some in the woods. Not only are there sand dunes, but there is an extensive marsh within the park, so that altogether there is a fairly wide diversity of habitat. It is, without a doubt, one of the best bird watching spots in the entire Midwest. Spring is a great time to watch rivers of migrating birds along the lakeshore from a dune overlooking the lake, or walk the trails for warblers and other neo-tropical migrants. Lake watching is also good in the fall and winter, and there is always something to be found out on the trails then, too.

The Indiana Dunes State Park is a truly scenic attraction! Lake Michigan is a giant blue backdrop as you gaze from the many dunes within the park. The pavilion has washrooms and a snack bar and a upper floor that opens to a breathe taking view of Lake Michigan (looks like a never ending ocean)! The park has a camp grounds, nature center, and numerous buildings that you can cook & eat your meals. Trails are plentiful from simple to rugged and length from a 1/2 mile to several miles. Plenty of parking and during the summer months lifeguards are on duty. If you are in the area it is definitely a attraction not to miss!!!! I have visited the park during every month of the year and each month has its own inviting scenery.

love the beach and trails..spring , summer, fall and especially in the winter! Very beautiful and peaceful. nature at it's finest

The dunes are very clean and beautiful!! We came to the beach to watch the sunrise. It was phenomenal! Just a nice beach to relax at and swim. ( the water temperature is much warmer in august than in June)

You will want to buy the t-shirt documenting this accomplishment (but only AFTER you have finished). It is best to consider both the heat of the sand when you choose footwear and the time of day (we would have started earlier in the day) when you plan your hike. Allow time to enjoy the waterfront before/after the hike too. The trail passes the nature center so you will have access to restrooms. The challenge to climbing Mts Tom, Holden and Jackson (all around 176 -192 ft) is in the sand of course! Stairs are provided on parts of the uphills. If you pace yourself and are in reasonable health you should be fine. There were 5 of us and plan to return next summer and spend a week here!

thanks for visiting and reviewing the park!

thanks for visiting and reviewing the park!

thanks for visiting and reviewing the park!

Beautiful views, great hiking, and swimming... What's not to like?! What a relaxing way to spend a bright sunny day. I love to lie on the beach and listen to the waves crash the sand. Or if hiking is your thing, this is a great area for that. We took my niece through the paths. She loved it! We also loved climbing the dunes bad running down!

Thanks for visiting. We're glad you enjoyed your visit.

I grew up in Indiana but visited the Indiana Dunes for the first time on a trip home from Arizona to visit family. I had no idea how special the Indiana Dunes are. We really enjoyed the interpretive displays at the visitors center and a great hike led by a very knowledgeable volunteer. We were a little early for fall color and plan to schedule our next Indiana trip for October instead of September. Sometimes state parks don't have the resources to provide facilities and staff that the national parks do, but the Indiana Dunes State Park was excellent on both counts. We also stopped at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore visitor center and enjoyed it as well.

Highly recommend! Great place to camp and amazing beaches! Very clean and friendly! We have been here multiple times and still enjoy it just as much at the first time we went!

Indiana Dunes State Park is located right smack in the middle of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore: however, the parks couldn't be more different. There is a $10 entrance fee for out-of-staters (no worries--they take card) and the park is much more "compact" than the National Lakeshore.The trails are great--if you haven't done so already, please try the #3duneschallenge --it's quite a workout and pretty doable (but please note: it's in sand, so bring an extra pair of shoes/socks). If you're driving from Chicago, it's the easiest 45 minute drive to do, and highly recommended.

This is a beautiful park adjacent to the National Lakeshore. Lovely nature hikes and beautiful beaches. One of the most bio-diverse places in the world for nature lovers. Can get crowed in the summer especially during the weekends. Pretty empty during the week when school is in session. Good place to cross country ski in winter.

Enjoyed our trip to Indiana Dunes. A bit of a sore to see the steel mills bellowing on either side, made me a bit queasy about swimming in the water. The beach was nice, but the only shower/taps are on the sand beach, so when you rinse your feet off they just get sandy again. The campground was pretty good and we made use of the hiking trails. Enjoyed being able to hike and hit the beach right from our camping spot. Enough to keep busy for a day or two and it seems pretty family friendly.