On the southern shore of Lake Michigan, just outside Chicago, lie the Indiana Dunes; a land of recreation, relaxation, and reflection.
On this tour, we'll guide you to all eight beautiful beaches inside the National Park, so you can decide which one’s your favorite.
We’ll explore ancient sand dunes, wandering sand dunes, ground-breaking architecture, and the birthplace of modern ecology...not to mention miles of hiking trails through wetlands, forests, and more.
Along the way, you’ll learn just how susceptible this place is to change, and how you can help guide those changes for the better.
Indiana Dunes Itinerary
1. Heron Rookery Trail
- Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours
The Heron Rookery trail is an easy and peaceful 3.3-mile nature walk through a bird sanctuary. A rookery is a collection of nests, high up in the trees.
Unfortunately, the Great Blue Herons who used to nest here have moved on to new grounds.
But you can still find plenty of other birds, like:
- Kingfishers
- warblers
- Red-headed woodpeckers
- Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and more.
In the spring, you may see ephemeral flowers, like Harbinger of Spring, which have small, white petals next to dark purple stamen.
Or Yellow Trout Lilies, whose flowers sorta look like banana peels.
2. Mount Baldy
- Duration: 10 minutes to 1 hour
Mount Baldy is as tall as a 12-story building! And even more impressive, is that Mount Baldy’s what’s called a wandering dune.
That means it can move up to ten feet per year. There used to be grass on the dune that held it in place. But after years of tourists climbing on it, the grass was destroyed.
Now, the wind blows the sand around, causing the dune to change position. Mount Baldy is actually starting to overtake its own parking lot!
Getting to the beach requires a half-mile roundtrip hike around the dune, and includes stairs.
3. Central Beach
- Duration: 30 minutes
Central Avenue Beach as seasonal restrooms and potable water.
There are two picnic tables at the west end of the parking lot up the stairs.
The National Park strongly urges visitors to remain on the beach area and not to climb up on the dune slopes directly behind the beach.
The restrooms are wheelchair accessible. The beach and picnic tables are not wheelchair accessible.
There are no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk; rip currents and waves can make swimming hazardous.
During the spring and summer, watch the Bank Swallows come and go from their nests in the dunes.
4. Great Marsh Trail
- Duration: 1 hour
The Great Marsh Trail is a nice and easy birding hike with views of the largest wetland complex in the Lake Michigan watershed.
The trail features a separate wheelchair-accessible paved trail with quick access to an observation deck. Look for:
- ducks
- geese
- herons
- egrets
- warblers, and
- red-winged blackbirds
5. Lakeview Beach
- Duration: 10 minutes to 1 hour
- This beach has covered picnic shelters with great views of Lake Michigan, and year-round restrooms and potable water.
- Cooking fires are permitted at the picnic shelters in the provided grills or an approved carry-in grill.
- An approved grill is a non-combustible container with an enclosed bottom and enclosed sides with a minimum depth of 2 inches.
- Charcoal must be cooled and safely disposed of in a non-combustible container or removed from the area.
- The picnic shelters and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. The beach is not wheelchair accessible.
- There is a very good view of Lake Michigan from the parking lot and picnic shelters.
- There are no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk; rip currents and waves can make swimming hazardous.
In the spring, it’s a great spot for catching smelt; a small, oily fish that tastes fantastic. I’d say they’re best enjoyed dusted with flour, shallow fried, and eaten whole. Delicious!
6. Century of Progress Historical District
- Duration: 20 minutes
The five houses that make up the Century of Progress Historic District originally debuted at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
The Homes of Tomorrow Exhibit, which consisted of 12 futuristic houses, was a particular crowd-pleaser.
After the fair, a developer purchased five of the homes and moved them here. He called his new community Beverly Shores, after his daughter.
While the houses are now owned by the National Park, they’ve been leased to private residents on the condition that they keep them maintained.
That means people live in these houses, so you can’t actually go inside.
Unless you’re lucky enough to score a ticket to the annual tour every September. And we do mean lucky because tickets usually sell out within an hour.
7. Dunbar Beach
Joe Gruzalski
- Duration: 10 minutes to 1 hour
This beach has seasonal restrooms and potable water. The parking lot is paved and can fill up quickly on summer weekends.
There are no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk; rip currents and waves can make swimming hazardous.
8. Kemil Beach & Dune Ridge Trail
- Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour
This is a great beach to enjoy the night sky and nocturnal animals. This beach has year-round restrooms and potable water.
The parking lot is paved and can fill up quickly on summer weekends. There are no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk; rip currents and waves can make swimming hazardous.
There's also the Dune Ridge Trail, which might just be the most diverse short nature trail in the park.
It runs over forested sand dunes, through Black Oak Savannas, and has terrific views of The Great Marsh and Lake Michigan. Highly recommend it if you have the time.
9. Calumet Dunes Trail
- Duration: 20 minutes
This trail is popular with bird watchers in the summer, and cross-country skiers in the winter.
But, once upon a time, the Calumet Dunes Ridge was actually the shoreline of Lake Michigan! In the last 12,000 years, the water’s receded about one and a half miles.
If you hike the trail, try to imagine what the Calumet Dunes must have looked like when the lake was right here.
Just imagine everything that’s happened to transform these old sand dunes, melting glaciers, wind, water, and lots and lots of time...
10. Glenwood Dunes Trail
- Duration: Less than 1 hour to 4 hours
If you hike this trail system, popular with hikers, runners, horseback riders, and cross-country skiers, you'll definitely want to take a trail map with you.
The trails vary in length, from less than 1 mile to 6.8 miles, with extensions that take it to over 15 miles.
There are 13 trail junctions, which makes that trail map super important. Best of all, at 13,000 years old, the Glenwood Dunes are the oldest dunes in the park!
11. Visitor Center
NPS Collection
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Hours of Operation:
- 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
- Winter hours (SEPTEMBER 4–MAY 27)
- 8:30 AM–4:30 PM
At the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, you can check out the educational displays, watch a few short films about the park, shop the bookstore, and talk to a park ranger.
But my favorite thing about the Visitor Center is the Indigenous Cultural Trail. The National Park wants to honor the Indigenous Potawatomi and Miami People who called this land home and educate visitors about their culture and contributions.
The Indigenous Cultural trail shows just how connected they were to the diverse ecosystems of the park, creating an educational experience like no other. If you wanna learn more, just ask a ranger!
12. Indiana Dunes State Park
- Duration: 1 to 2 hours
- Hours of Operation:
- Open daily from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm.
- The Nature Center is open Wednesday - Sunday 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
This place is popular, and can get busy! Depending on what time of year it is, or even the time of day, the park rangers may be out directing traffic.
You may have to wait in line just to get in! Heads up: the state park requires a separate fee.
If you want to check out the 3-Dune hiking challenge, then make your way to the Nature Center. Or, head straight for the beach.
There, you'll find a large, art deco park pavilion with a general store and restaurants. There’s also a bird observatory west of the pavilion.
If it’s winter, there’s a fantastic, 100-foot sledding hill near the pavilion called, The Devil’s Slide.
And for the history fans, don’t miss the historical marker on the way to the pavilion, that marks the site of the 1780 Battle of Petit Fort.
13. Porter Beach
Joe Gruzalski
- Duration: 20 minutes
Porter Beach is right next to the State Park beach but offers none of the amenities.
But, you're welcome to park here and walk a quarter mile along the beach to the state park.
There are no lifeguards at Porter Beach, so swim at your own risk. Seasonal restrooms are available at the parking lot.
14. Cowles Bog Trail
NPS.gov
- Duration: 4 hours
The Cowles Bog Trail is a moderate 4.7 miles, with 202 feet of elevation gain. The trail is rugged, with steep dune climbs in loose sand.
Cowles Bog was named after ecologist Doctor Henry Cowles. It turns out sand dunes are great for studying how plants react to environmental changes.
And that’s exactly what Doctor Cowles did! His research in the area led to the Indiana Dunes being called, the birthplace of ecology.
15. Bailly Cemetery
- Duration: 30 minutes
If you’re a history buff, or just a fan of weird, cool things, you won’t wanna skip the Bailly Cemetery. This place is totally unique.
Take our shortcut hike, less than half a mile roundtrip, to an old cemetery hidden in the woods. And hear the story about how one family took over the cemetery and made it their own.
16. Bailly Homestead
- Duration: 45 minutes to 2.5 hours
The Bailly homestead is a National Historic Landmark and was the home of Joseph and Marie Bailly.
Joseph was one of the first settlers in this region and established a trading post here in 1822.
At one point, the Bailly homestead was the only stopping point for travelers between Chicago and Detroit.
The Homestead is a collection of 5 different buildings, ranging from rustic log cabins and brick structures to the imposing late 19th century main house.
17. Chellberg Farm
- Duration: 45 minutes to 2.5 hours
The Chellbergs were Swedish Immigrants who purchased this land in 1869.
Their original wooden farmhouse burned down in 1884, and they replaced it the next year with the brick house you can see today.
And in the 1930s, they started making maple syrup. You’ll actually walk past the syrup shack on your way to the farm.
Every March, the national park holds a maple syrup festival! This is the only National Park in the country that makes its own maple syrup.
Check the national park website calendar, because there are ranger programs that allow you to tour the old farmhouse, and even feed the cows, chickens, and goats on the farm!
18. Mnoke Prairie
Wikimedia Commons
- Duration: 30 minutes
The Mnoké Prairie is a restored pre-settlement tallgrass prairie.
That means you can walk through this area, and see what it would have looked like before European-American settlers ever reached Indiana.
The prairie is an excellent place to spot birds, like Double-Breasted Cormorants, Rock Pigeons, and Cooper's Hawks.
19. Portage Lakefront & Riverwalk
- Duration: 45 minutes
This is a great beach and trail to observe birds in the spring and summer. And in the winter, you can see the shelf ice on Lake Michigan.
The riverwalk is just under a mile and is considered easy. You’ll also find the beach pavilion, which has snacks, gifts, restrooms, and ranger programs.
20. Tolleston Dunes
NPS/J.Gruzalski
- Duration: 2 hours
The Tolleston Dunes are nearly 5,000 years old. The trail's about three miles long, and it takes you through 5,000-year-old sand dunes.
It’s moderately difficult because it goes up and down the dunes…and it can get soggy after a rain, but plenty of trees means it’s mostly shaded from the sun.
Keep a lookout for prickly pear cactus, sassafrass, and the wild blue lupine flower.
21. West Beach
- Duration: 45 minutes to 2.5 hours
Welcome to West Beach, the biggest and busiest beach in the national park.
Nestled along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, this beach provides something for everyone:
- sunbathing
- swimming
- beachcombing
- birdwatching
There’s also a picnic area near the parking lot and even a designated spot for dune climbing.
There are hiking trails, like the Long Lake Loop, which winds through lush forests, wetlands, and rolling sand dunes. And then, there’s the Diana of the Dunes Dare.
If you dare, you can take the one-mile Dune Succession Trail, which includes a strenuous climb up two hundred and seventy steps to the top of Diana’s Dune.
Year-round restrooms and potable water are available at the parking lot. Seasonal restrooms, potable water, showers, and lockers are available at the bathhouse, and seasonal restrooms and potable water at the picnic area.
Lifeguards are stationed at the swimming area in front of the bathhouse in the summer months.
Lifeguards are on duty 10:00 am - 6:00 pm including set up and take down of equipment.
There are 8 covered picnic shelters near the West Beach parking lot that are wheelchair accessible.
Cooking fires at the picnic shelters are permitted in the provided grills or an approved carry-in grill.
The parking lot is paved and has spots for 600 cars and 20 buses and RVs.
22. Marquette Park
Wikimedia Commons
- Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Hours of Operation:
- Beaches are open from dawn to dusk daily - Sunday before Memorial Day through Labor Day. Lifeguards are on duty from 10 am to 6 pm.
- The Aquatorium is open 24 hours a day.
Marquette Park belongs to the city of Gary, Indiana, and is outside the National Park.
The park has a playground, a concession stand, hiking trails, a disc golf course, and more.
The beach is great for swimming, walking, and just relaxing. It also has one of our favorite buildings in the area.
The Gary Bathing Beach Aquatorium was built in 1921.
Inside this beautiful neoclassical building, you’ll find restrooms, and two small museum exhibits:
- one for the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American World War Two fighter pilots
- another exhibit for an early aviation pioneer named Octave Chanute
23. Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education
NPS Collection
- Duration: 30 minutes to 2 hours
- Hours of Operation:
- Summer hours are every day from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the Monday of Labor Day weekend)
- Winter hours are from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday only.
- The trail is open daily from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm.
Nestled in the Miller Woods, just outside Gary, Indiana, you'll find The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education.
The education center is a National Park visitor center with exhibits on the wildlife found throughout the park. Plus it’s got some excellent hiking trails.
We recommend the Miller Woods Loop Trail. It’s less than a mile long, meanders through several habitats, and the views of the lake are incredible.
Conclusion
This tour covers a lot of ground; more than you may be expecting:
- Wandering sand dunes
- miles of pristine beaches
- forests
- wetlands, and prairies
- groundbreaking architecture and designs, and
- area’s early settlements
You'll learn how the Indiana Dunes were created, and we'll invite you to contemplate what this land might look like if the dunes were lost.
While the Indiana Dunes might not resemble other national parks you may be familiar with, these "backyard" national parks are just as important.
We hope you take advantage of everything this park has to offer, and that you create a truly memorable experience with Shaka Guide!
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Ready to take the tour? Check out Shaka Guide's Indiana Dunes National Park Tour!
We hope that we’ve given you all the information you need to make the most of your day. Your vacation is extremely important to us so if you have any questions feel free to reach out at aloha@shakaguide.com.
For more detailed information to help you plan, check out our Know Before You Go article.