Calumet Dunes Trail @ Indiana Dunes National Park

Image provided by the National Park Service

This short paved trail features the Calumet Dunes ridge, which was the shoreline of Lake Michigan over 12,000 years ago. The lake has slowly receded over time, forming three major parallel dune ridges: Glenwood (640' above sea level), Calumet (620' above sea level) and Tolleston (605' above sea level). The current lake level is approximately 580' above sea level. U.S. Highway 12 follows the high ground of the Tolleston Dunes ridge in this area, just north of the Calumet Dunes Trail.

Trail Features: Fall Colors, Wildlife

Getting There

Trailhead Parking Lot
1596 North Kemil Road (300E), Chesterton, IN 46304 (Intersection of Kemil Road and U.S. Highway 12)

Note: Kemil Road is called East State Park Road north of U.S. Highway 12.
Note: This is the location of the old visitor center for the park. The building is now USGS Lake Michigan Ecological Research Station.

Trailhead GPS Coordinates
41.661836, -87.010109 (Decimal Degrees)

Need to Know
Hours & Information

• Hours – Open daily from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm.
• Passes are required.
• Hike Length – 0.5 miles.
• Hike Time – 20 minutes.
• Difficulty – Easy with some elevation change.
• Trail Surface – Paved.
• Facilities – Year-round restrooms and potable water.
• Pets – Permitted on a leash (6' or shorter). Pets are prohibited on the equestrian portion of the Glenwood Dunes Trail.
• Prohibited – Littering, hunting, and removing plants.
• Prohibited – Bicycles and motorized vehicles.
• The parking lot is paved.
• In the winter, this trail is popular with cross-country skiers.
• The Calumet Dunes Trail is interconnected with the large Glenwood Dunes Trail system and the Dunewood Trace Campground Trail. Click here for information on the Glenwood Dunes Trail system.

Safety

• Please stay on the trail and respect closed area signs. Going off trail damages fragile habitat.
• Ticks are present year-round. Take precautionary measures to prevent bites.
• Poison ivy can be present on the edges of the trail.
• Mosquitoes and flies can be bad in summer months.
• Be prepared for changing weather conditions.
• In case of an emergency or to report a crime, call 1-800-PARK-TIP.

Accessibility

• Trail is paved but slopes exceed ADA limits. Trail is wheelchair accessible with proper support. Restrooms are accessible.

Part of the Indiana Dunes National Park