Indiana Dunes — Attraction in Chesterton

We were driving through Indiana in our camper van and since we like to visit as many of the national parks as possible , we diverted a few miles of the highway to see it.

It’s not at all what we expected and (to be honest), struggled to find the dunes of the park. You don’t go through a NP park booth. You just drive past the sign when you are there.

We found a parking area to get to the beach and some dunes, but that required we pay to go into the Indiana Dunes STATE park which is within the National Park.

Indiana Dunes National park is the 61st NP. On February 15, 2019 the official name changed from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to Indiana Dunes National Park - Indiana's first National Park.

This park hugs 15 miles of the southern shore of Lake Michigan but it is super confusing because the Indiana Dunes State park is right in the middle of the NP. Your NP pass will not get you in the state park. It’s $12 for out of state vehicles.

I’m sure if you live here it’s a great beach to visit. Based on research , there are some great hikes.

However it seems to that if you want to experience the park by driving through the park, there is very little to see.

We stopped at a picnic area but it was tiny and in a wooded area. No sand dunes .

The Visit Indian website claims this is the 6th most visited park in the NPS. Sorry but …Super hard to believe but it’s a beach so maybe gets regular beach traffic.

We’ve been to over half of the 63 national parks and most are stunning (sans Arkansas Hot Springs). We’ve also been to dozens of state parks and beaches.

I’m kind of shocked this is even a national park.

I wouldn’t make a special trip to check this one off your NP...

Not the most thrilling park (ain’t no Glacier NP!) but a great experience! Very nice we can preserve the waterfront and prevent industries from taking over. This place has plenty of hiking trails- some are indeed challenging due to the hills and sandy terrain. We did 3 miles at three different trail hiking areas. My favorite was the Cowles Bog Trail. Note the Long Lake and Little Lake are not really lakes, more like marsh area. We saw hundreds of monarch butterflies at West Beach hiking. The beaches were clean, I bet they would be busy on a hot July day! The park sides are along train tracks and you can hear the train go by pretty frequently.

Some parking lots are small but people are coming and going.

The gift shop could use some bookmarks and books! It was pretty limited. I would have liked to get a book about Diana of the Dunes or the geology...

Indiana Dunes National Park, just an hour from Chicago, is a scenic escape with 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and a wide variety of landscapes. Visitors can relax on sandy beaches, swim, or watch the sunset, while more adventurous explorers can hike over 50 miles of trails through sand dunes, prairies, wetlands, and woodlands. The park is also a hotspot for biodiversity, home to hundreds of bird species and rare plants, making it a favorite for nature lovers. While it’s a convenient and beautiful getaway, the park can get very crowded in summer, with parking lots and popular beaches filling up early. Trails are well-marked but should be followed carefully to protect fragile dune ecosystems. With its mix of outdoor recreation, wildlife, and easy access from the city, Indiana Dunes offers a refreshing balance of relaxation...