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Indiana Dunes
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Indiana Dunes
Enjoy a family camping trip, an ecological study or just a relaxing day at the beach. Stretching 25 miles east along the south shore of Lake Michigan, the Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes State Park welcome nearly four million guests to their sandy beaches and beautiful trails each year.
Head to the beach and dip your toes in Lake Michigan. Walk or bike miles of trails. Hike along the sunny prairies, peaceful forests and towering sand dunes. The landscapes along the southern shores of Lake Michigan are some of the most biologically diverse in the nation. Keep your eyes open for the more than 350 bird species and hundreds of animal species that call the Indiana Dunes home. There are also more than 1,400 species of ferns and flowering plants that grow here.
Learn about more activities with our list of 61 Things to Do at the Indiana Dunes!
The Indiana Dunes National Park is comprised of more than 15,000 acres of dunes, oak savannas, swamps, bogs, marshes, prairies, rivers and forests, offering a wide variety of activities year-round.
Visitors can take advantage of beautiful beaches, unique hiking trails and the historic sites of Bailly Homestead and Chellberg Farm.
The national park is a beautiful spot for hiking, with 11 trails throughout the park of varying lengths and difficulty levels.
Photo credit: Pete Doherty
At the Indiana Dunes State Park, large sand dunes, located beyond the entire shoreline, have taken thousands of years to form, and tower nearly 200 feet above Lake Michigan.
Three miles of beach run along Lake Michigan’s southern shore. The park also offers 16.5 miles of trails, several that traverse Mount Tom. Enjoy everything the park has to offer with a stay at their campground.
There is a small fee for parking at the state park.
Photo credit: Indiana DNR
Things to Do at the Indiana Dunes
Last Minute Updates
For beach and park updates at the National Park, visit here or follow them on facebook.
For an updated list of what is open and closed at the Indiana State Parks, click here.
You can also call 219-395-1003 to get recorded information on available parking at Indiana Dunes National Park beaches and the nearby Indiana Dunes State Park.
Request More Information
Would you like more information about the South Shore and the Indiana Dunes? Use the links below to request a visitor's guide be mailed to you, download our Indiana Dunes brochure, join our e-newsletter list or sign up for text alerts.
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