Best trails in Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park stretches along 15 miles of Lake Michigan’s scenic shoreline, offering a diverse natural escape. Explore over 50 miles of trails that wind through rolling sand dunes, bird-filled wetlands, wildflower-rich prairies, and tranquil forests. Perfect for birdwatching, hiking, or simply relaxing by the water, the park provides a rich habitat for hundreds of bird species and native plants. With its unique blend of ecosystems and breathtaking lake views, it’s a haven for nature lovers, photographers, and outdoor adventurers seeking beauty and biodiversity year-round.
Top trails
Visitor info
7-Day Park Entrance Fee - Motorcycle
Per motorcycle (valid for 1-7 days from date of purchase)
7-Day Per Person Entrance Fee (Organized, non-commercial groups)
Visitors 16 years of age or older who enter on foot, bicycle, boat, or as part of an organized group not involved in a commercial tour.
7-Day Park Entrance Fee - Family-Size Vehicle
Per private family-sized vehicle (valid for 1-7 days from date of purchase).
Indiana Dunes National Park Annual Pass
This pass provides entry for the pass owner(s) and passengers in a family-sized vehicle. This pass only works at the Indiana Dunes National Park and is not accepted at the Indiana Dunes State Park.
Passes can be purchased from the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, seasonally at the West Beach kiosk, or online at recreation.gov.
Join millions of people who enjoy our National Parks with the "America the Beautiful" National Park & Federal Recreational Lands Pass, otherwise known as the Interagency Annual Pass. The pass is valid for a year's worth of visits from the month of purchase at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country.
No entrance pass required on these days:
Monday, January 20 — Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Saturday, April 19 — First day of National Park Week
Thursday, June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day
Monday, August 4 — Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
Saturday, September 27 — National Public Lands Day
Tuesday, November 11 — Veterans Day
The Interagency Access Pass is accepted here.
The Indiana Dunes National Park Visitor Center and Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms. Orientation films include closed captioning.
Loaner wheelchairs (Freedom Trax wheelchair, Zoom Chair, GRIT Freedom Chair, and a youth Hippocampe Blue Blazer wheelchair), cycles (hand tricycle, dual tandem bike, and a two-seated tandem bicycle), and assistive listening devices are available. A beach wheelchair is available from the lifeguards at West Beach.
Many ranger-led programs are wheelchair accessible, and assistive listening devices and ASL interpreters are available by reservation. Please call (219)-395-1821 in advance to reserve equipment.
Additional information about accessibility at Indiana Dunes National Park can be found on their website: https://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm.
The Indiana Dunes National Park Visitor Center and Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms. Orientation films include closed captioning.
The West Beach, Bailly Chellberg, Tremont, Glenwood Dunes, Lake View Beach, and Tolleston Dunes Overlook Picnic Areas are wheelchair accessible with packed, level paths and surfaces.
Dunewood Campground has individual wheelchair accessible camping sites (#15, 30, 41, and 55).
Service animals must be on-leash throughout the park.
Guides
Trail reviews for Indiana Dunes National Park
Paul H Douglas trail. Indiana Dunes National Park. Hike through black oak savanna to Lake Michigan. Wanted to find out more but education center closed due to staffing cuts by you know who
2 hikes at Indiana Dunes National Park. Very nice! Beautiful park.
This trail topped my expectations. Not crowded, tons of flowers, and very unique compared to other national park trails I have done. We saw tons of birds, including a Great Egret at the pond. The beach on this trail is very quaint compared to some of the other more popular beaches on Lake Michigan, but is just as beautiful. If you only had time for one trail at Indiana Dunes, this is the one I would recommend!
Great trail. My favorite in the Indiana Dunes. There are both long & short options and the opportunity to swim in Lake Michigan.
Finished my day at Indiana Dunes
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Frequently asked questions
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Points of interest
- Long Lake
- Mount Baldy
- Portage Lakefront
- Kemil Beach Comfort Station
- Lindstrom/Wahl Historic Barn
- Central Beach
- Mount Baldy Beach
- Great Marsh Observation Deck
- Tolleston Dunes Outlook
- Little Lake
- Tremont (New City West)
- Bailly Beach
- Lake George
- West Grand Calumet Lagoon
- West Beach Picnic Area
- Porter Beach
- Gleason Heights
- West Beach
- Middle Grand Calumet Lagoon
- Southeast Pond