Lake Michigan, Indiana
Indiana Dunes
Dunes, beaches and wetlands on Lake Michigan's south shore: a national park and a state park side by side, the 3 Dune Challenge, a 1900s farm, a lighthouse museum in Michigan City and trains from Chicago.
Photo: Dune Succession Trail at West Beach, Indiana Dunes National Park, Indianadunes, CC BY 4.0
Indiana Dunes National Park protects about 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, plus bogs, prairies and forests. Scientists here helped found the study of plant ecology.
Indiana Dunes State Park sits in the middle of the national park, with the tallest dunes and the 3 Dune Challenge trail. Up for it?
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Cheap
Indiana Dunes National Park
Beaches, dunes, bogs and forests on Lake Michigan.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Century of Progress homes
Houses from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair on the lakeshore.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Old Lighthouse Museum
Museum admission in Michigan City.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Sunset over Lake Michigan, with Chicago's skyline on the horizon.
- Two parks, two days.
- Michigan City for dinner.
Nearby and worth the drive
Sleeping Bear Dunesabout 4 h 30 · Guide ↗
More big dunes.
Hollandabout 2 h · Guide ↗Tulips and a lighthouse.
Ready-made trips with Indiana Dunes
2 days · Indiana Dunes
The Indiana Dunes
Big dunes, marsh trails and a lighthouse on Lake Michigan.
2 days · Indiana Dunes → Holland, Michigan
Indiana Dunes and Holland
Dunes and beaches on Indiana's Lake Michigan shore, and, about two hours around the foot of the lake, a lighthouse town with its own dunes.
Good to know
- Tourism: Indiana Dunes Tourism.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Dune Succession Trail at West Beach, Indiana Dunes National Park, Indianadunes, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Part of the Dunes Succession Trail at West Beach, Indiana Dunes National Park, Indianadunes, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Mount Baldy Beach, Indiana Dunes National Park, rboed*, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan, Indianadunes, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Cowles Bog Trail, hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Chellberg Farm at Indiana Dunes, Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
Photo: The Florida House, one of the Century of Progress homes at Indiana Dunes, Indiana Dunes Tourism, CC BY-SA 4.0