The 3 Dune Challenge — Attraction in Chesterton

It's definitely a challenging, but fun hike. We started two and half hours before the sunset and by the time we completed the challenge, the sky was just beginning to change its colors, preparing itself for the spectacular sunset that was about to happen. It takes about an hour to complete the challenge. But, we took it slow, stopping in lot of places and clicking a lot of pictures and we did it in 1.5 hours. The trail was not much crowded. It was one of a kind experience for us since this was our first hike across sand dunes. The views at the top and end of the challenge are rewarding, especially if you are doing it around the time of sunset. You can see Chicago skyline at the distance. Be sure to collect the free stickers from the visitor center upon completion of...

New Years Day 2025. The 3 Dune Challenge is a 1.5 mile loop. They were open! The park enterance was open and we paid $12 for one car and 2 people. We hiked with a dog, and was happy to see other leashed pets.

We saw great birds! A Pilated Woodpecker, plenty of cardinals, and a tufted titmouse

Took us about 45 mins to complete the loop, mostly sandy trails. Would be great to wear out the pets or the kids. At the top of the second dune, there is a chance to walk down to the beach, but I would recommend just going to the labeled beach inside the park. That way you don’t have to climb the dune again!

I enjoyed the clean bathrooms and the nature center with small museum. We got our free sticker in the...

You can do it! The hardest part of this trail isn't necessarily the elevation gain though at some points it does reach 43 degrees incline. I found that walking up on sand was most challenging, and if you're doing this on a hot day, it can be very challenging. But luckily it's not that long. The inclines come one at a time and are pretty quick and painful, like a ripping off a band-aid.

Bring a hat and plenty of water. Save 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes depending on your pace.

Supposedly you can get a sticker from the visitor center after completing the challenge but it was closed by the time...