One of American’s newest National Parks, Indiana Dunes National Park was established by an act of congress in 2019. This made it the 61st national park in the country, but Indiana Dunes had been managed by the park service since 1966 when it was dedicated as a National Lakeshore.
We have visited this park twice, once in 2011 and again in 2020 after it had gained National Park status. Here is what we found to do!
Both trips were just an afternoon spent at the beach as a stop on the way to traveling somewhere else. I really try to make the most of a road trip by taking advantage of the journey en route to the final destination. In 2011, the trail to the top of Mount Baldy, the park’s largest dune was still open to the public, so of course, we had to climb it! Today, the summit can only be reached on a ranger-led tour, stop at a visitor center in the park for more information.
On our more recent visit in the summer of 2020, we headed straight for West Beach. We had stopped here on our previous visit and thought it would make a great place for a picnic supper and walk to stretch our legs.
After dinner in the picnic area near the parking lot, we headed to the beach via the Dune Succession Trail. Information about the trail, as well as a map, can be found on the National Park Service website here.
Some of the difficulty in climbing over a sand dune is mitigated by wooden boardwalks and stairs. The entire loop was just about a mile in length with the most difficult climb being right at the start.
At the crest of the dune, the stairs give way to sand and views of lake Michigan appear.
The boardwalk then returns to ferry you to the shore of Lake Michigan. Along the trail there is evidence of all stages of dune development in reverse. Part of the trail walks through a forest of Jack Pine. Closer to the water, there are Oak and Cottonwood trees becoming mixed with grasses and then finally the sandy shores.
After admiring Lake Michigan for a bit, we walked back through the park beach house to a paved path back to the parking lot, enjoying more great views along the way.
With beaches, biking trails, miles of hiking, and so much more, Indiana Dunes could be a whole vacation destination. Just as great though, is seeing this spot as a stop for a few hours of playtime when passing through northern Indiana. I encourage you not to overlook it. It is a great stop to have a picnic meal, take a quick dip in the lake to cool off, or watch the sunset before getting a hotel for the night.
Life is a journey, after all, not just a destination. Find joy whenever you can.
