Went to the West Beach part of the Indiana dunes. Very cute, nice beach area, not overly crowded…read more At the visitor center all the employees were helpful and overall just very friendly. We didn't get to walk the trails, but seen what looked like some neat paths to walk on.

Indiana is lucky to have this protected shoreline in its backyard, it's a cool collection of beach,…read moresand, marsh, and forest environments all along Lake Michigan. As a National Park, it felt approachable and maybe not the most interesting. You can definitely tackle the most popular trails and sights in half a day with enough planning. Views are cool, but this park is often used as a public beach by the locals, which takes away from the charm a bit. Plus you'll almost certainly get some randos in your photos. Also annoying that the Indiana Dunes State Park is a separate entity basically nestled inside the federal park; the state version charges its own fees and uses a separate reservation system entirely.

Quality/Quantity - This is what Indiana is known for! And these are the 3 largest dunes in the…read morestate park! Not an easy hike for me as I was not prepared for it. If only my daughter gave me a heads up. I'm now prepared for our next hike, future Yelp coming. This event was supposed to be for a different day, a weekday. Time permitting, I recommend a weekday to visit. It was an hour wait just to get into the park on a beautiful Saturday. (We were warned by the team at the visitor center, but decided to do it anyway). Few dining choices, but WOW, look at all the beach BBQ set ups. I almost asked to join a few. Atmosphere - What a beautiful day today. The hike got better and easier when we got to the trees with shade. Hiking on the beach was just too hot for me. Well again, I did not dress for this event... 15,000 acres, 50 miles of trails, 300 mile lake. Please see the pictures. Open 7 days a week, Yelp hours differ, check with the park. Swimming hours from 11am to 6pm, well that is when there are lifeguards. Events and activities, see pictures or websites. Public showers and bathrooms - Keep in mind there are thousands of people using these, so the conditions reflect that. Service - Small helpful visitor center, see pictures. Also with a Yelp check-in, you get 5 free postcards. They convinced us to go to the state park rather than the national park. Good thing because I left my annual national park pass in my truck in CA. Price - $12 a car, discount for locals ($7). If you walk from the visitor center, $2 a person, but that is a 2+ mile walk each way, in the hot sun! Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1986. Next time we will come much earlier and appreciate more of your park.

The Dunes, as we affectionately call them, really proved themselves today. If you haven't visited…read morein the winter, you must. Lake Michigan and the sand dunes are majestic in the wintertime. The bonus of no gate admission was a welcome treat. Although the building near the beach is under construction, the public restroom was available. The new landscaping and building improvements are incredible. It's hard to believe that it's the same place!

The tour of Cedar Lake on the steamship is a waste of your money. It's a quick 15-20 minute ride…read moreacross the lake and back. Recommendation is a BIG FAT ZERO. Not even 1 star.

I had the unique opportunity this past weekend to stumble upon a private tour of The Lake of the…read moreRed Cedars Museum, located in Cedar Lake Indiana. This gem of a building is located literally on the water of a sleepy little Indiana town. As I walked through the hallway of this multi function boarding house/converted hotel, I realized I had finally been able to see items throughout history that I had only read about. This museum, dedicated to the preservation and history of one of Cedar Lakes oldest business building blocks during the ice industry was filled with americana. Top to bottom. If you are a historical enthusiast and are into these kinds of things, please make time to see it and they ask for SO VERY LITTLE in donation that you should throw some extra money in the jar on your way out. It is a treasure, and a wonderful find for anyone to see.

They made sure they moved the bachelorette groups to different buses to avoid any issues. We…read moreappreciated the thought. Our tour guide Kenney was great. He made sure we were taken care of. This is the only tour company that includes lunch I believe. Lunch was pretty good as well! I would book with them again.

We were fortunate to get truly excellent weather to head out onto the lake for a boat ride with…read moreHarbor Country Adventures! We went on the Classic Lake Tour. Our tour guide was a retired high school history teacher and football coach with all sorts of interesting stories about the region. We passed Mount Baldy, the "living" sand dune that moves, at Indiana Dunes National Park and made it all the way down to a good view of the Century of Progress homes before making our way back. We also got to hear all about the ship, the Emita II, which is a historic ship from the 1950s, and about how it reached its current home. It was also very cute that Captain Jan had the kids come up and take turns at the wheel on the way back. There is a snack bar on the lower level of the boat, and there are restrooms on board. Free parking is available a little walk away - walk towards the Lighthouse Museum, as the dock is behind there. Definitely a great adventure!

Great friendly bartenders, nice owners, free catered events, and Bingo night on Friday nights!…read more Woohooo! Happy to be an American Legion member!