Indiana Dunes National Park

Long considered a sacred and enchanting site by modern Indiana residents and Native Americans before them, Indiana Sand Dunes was reclassified from a National Lakeshore to a full-blown National Park in February of 2019, making it the 61st national park in the register. Tucked into the northwest quadrant of Indiana along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, the park is home to 15 miles of stunning lakefront as well as over 20 square miles of the adjacent countryside, offering visitors a wide range of diversions including hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, water sports, and other activities.

One of the most unique aspects of this brand-new national park is its proximity to major metropolitan areas. The park is located just over an hour outside of downtown Chicago, and is also surrounded by a variety of other mid-sized midwestern towns including Porter, Chesterton, and Gary, Indiana.

Indiana Dunes is characterized by rugged dunes, wetlands, prairies, rivers, and forests. In other words, it’s SO much more than a simple beach front. Visitors can find themselves meandering down forest trails amidst towering maple, beech, basswood and oak trees, or kicking back in the sandy shore between water-based adventures. The weather is, obviously, very much affected by Lake Michigan and can change rapidly over a short period of time. In general, summers are warm and humid with temperatures hovering near 85 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas winter weather can easily drop to below freezing.

Now that it enjoys National Park status, Indiana Dunes offers an array of different events and activities for visitors to participate in. You can learn more about the events going on at the park and better plan your visit by viewing the official calendar here.