State park is $7 per car for Indiana residents and $20 for all other. Great nature views. Dunes are fun to climb and run/walk down. Beaches are beautiful and water is cold early in the season. The day I went there was a high wave advisory so they didn't let people in the water. Best views of the lake are from observation tower located west of the pavilion. Waves are loud if the wind is blowing from the north. You can see the City of Chicago skyline from anywhere on the beach when it is clear weather conditions. No pets on the beach and it does tend to get crowded when the weather is nice. Walking/hiking paths are available and some go the the highest points in the park where the views are breathtaking. read more

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Driving between Cleveland and Chicago, we like to make time for a stop at Indiana Dunes State Park. This time it was a blustery chilly day (Nov 2025), so it wasn't going to be a swimming or hiking day. But we didn't mind the $12 vehicle fee just for the view. South of the park on SR-49, you'll see a Visitors Center, and if we were staying longer, it's a nice stop for local park info, campground reservations, souvenirs, and refreshments. The drive into the state park to Porter Beach takes you through thick woods, and we saw a buck crossing the road, which was a real treat and a reminder that these parks are wild enough. At the end of SR-49, there's an ornate pavilion, and it was closed due to the upcoming holiday, even the cafe and store were closed. The restrooms outside on the boardwalk were open. And we brought our lunch in from Culver's down by I-80. There were only a couple other cars during the time we were there. We pulled up and braved the blowing sand to get a look at the thrashing waters of Lake Michigan. With gusts up to 40mph from an approaching storm, the eaves were spectacular! But it was difficult to stay upright in that wind, not to mention the light sand-blasting we were getting. And we were on the road heading for a holiday visit, so we didnt stay long, only an hour or so. It's a beautiful park, even in the winter. We want to sled down the 170ft dune-canyon known as Devil's Slide! read more

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I'm surprised that seemingly so few people know about the Indiana Dunes State/National Parks! This is a beautifully unique park, and a must visit for anyone who loves hiking and is looking for a fun challenge. We visited for my husband's birthday, and it was a little tricky to determine which trails were located in the State Park and which trails were located in the National Park. We actually ended up paying for a National Park pass first, but then realized the trail we wanted to hike was in the State Park and so we ended up having to pay for access to that as well. It doesn't make much sense to me that there's not one main visitors center with a flat rate for both parks, but oh well. Let this be a reminder to your research if you're planning a visit soon! We hiked the Three Dune Challenge around 4 PM on a Friday, and there was no one else on the trail! We were shocked to have the whole hike to ourselves. It is indeed a challenge, but the view was well worth it. After making our way down hill and through the campsite (where they could use a bit more signage, especially since that's how they recommend exiting), we drove to the beach and enjoyed the sunset. This park is definitely worth a stop! read more

I appreciate the diligent cleaning of the showerhouse at the campground. But taking an hour to clean it every morning at like 8am, right when everyone is waking up to use the bathroom and shower is nonsensical. read more

Indiana Dunes State Park is nature's way of showing off--and it's not subtle about it. We came for a quick hike... and left 6 hours later sunburned, sandy, and slightly feral. The beach? Stunning. The dunes? Like stairmasters from the Jurassic era. The views? Worth every panting, sweaty step. At one point, I thought we were lost in a nature documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman (sadly, he never showed). We brought snacks, water, and questionable hiking confidence--and survived. 10/10 would accidentally turn this into a full-day adventure again. Just don't forget sunscreen or you'll leave looking like a toasted marshmallow. read more

This is a state park that is located inside/ between the national park boundaries. There is a fee to enter the park. There are multiple trails right by the parking lot area. The park itself sits right on the beach. It's a beautiful area. There is a pavilion that serves food, ice cream, and cold beverages. I definitely recommend checking it out. read more

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We did the three dune challenge! It's not as bad as I thought it would be. And after getting your heart pumping and a good sweat, you just pop into the lake for a cooldown. Wonderful place to bring the family for a day, or camping is an option here too. read more

Indiana Dunes State Park - Dune - Parks Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

You need to have a reservation if you want to come here. As it is shown in their community board. Otherwise a sheriff will give you a parking fee ticket. Well its not really a paking ticket fee, its a donation, for the village to keep the place clean and running. Went here for a weekend beach day. This place is not too crowded unlike other well known beach and the water is clean and at this time it was at the right temp. They have a barbecue station too and toilets. Love the place. read more

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Wow, lived in indiana most of my life and didn't know we had a beach! The northern edge of Indiana bumps up to Lake Michigan. It's almost 3 hours from Indy but a great day trip. Haven't stayed overnight yet but going to make that plan! There so much still to do and see. The beach is clean, the bathrooms are ok. There are changing rooms as well. There are a couple of little outside showers to wash the sand off. There is a refreshment window with hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, fries and ice cream but there is also a full restaurant. If you bring a cooler and tents and such consider bringing a sled for easy travel on the sand. There are hiking and bike trails as well as campsites but I have not tried those yet. I recommend you go to the website and plan a trip though. Indiana residents pay only$7 per car load to get in. read more

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Beautiful park and a beautiful beach! The water is super cold but it's very refreshing. The views are incredible and you can see Chicago. Plenty of Parking. No bathrooms by the beach but the bathroom by the parking lot is a short walk away. Walking down towards the side with the power plants is nice but the sand becomes a lot more rocky. It's a giant lake but definitely has a good amount of waves. Highly recommend! read more

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This review is of west side or shore of Indian Dunes; The National Park side. We enjoyed our hike. There was a gorgeous hike through the woods and up over the sand and around along the beach. It was a really beautiful view. The hike through the woods and up over the staircase is obviously not handicap accessible. I am in mediocre shape and had to take a break or two but there are some cool platforms with some different items you can read about the history of the part that let you pretend to read while you take a breather and rest as you hike along. Just don't forget to go check out the Indiana state park side over on the east side because it is different in a completely beautiful way. It is so hard when you were there to believe that you were in the state of Indiana because it is so much like being at the ocean. It is absolutely beautiful. read more

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Woot! We crossed off both Cuyahoga National Parks and Indiana Dunes while taking a detour out of our way from Chicago, and this park was definitely our favorite. Highlights include running in the waves (do not recommend if you're not a strong swimmer, watch out for times with white capped waves) and dunking self in swim wear to freeze. Not sure if the water was colder than that of Lake Tenaya in Yosemite, but the wind chill factor made it chillier for sure. There's a parking lot that's a short 2-5 minute walk from the steps to the shore line so if you do get wet, bring dry clothes with you LOL. The facilities are mostly closed for the winter season on the day we visited, but there was a second newly built bathroom facility that was beautifully new and big and clean. Coming from the Pacific Ocean, Lake Michigan was our first great lake and what a sight it was to see! read more

Indiana Dunes State Park - Shore - Parks Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

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Beautiful setting and fun friendly beach cafe with the best brats. They were super accommodating of our dog.

This is my favorite spot for a beach day! It's about an hour drive from the south suburbs of Chicago. The beach is always clean, I love the fact that they have recently added paths for people to walk through or roll through the sand. I love the Pavilion for the days that I don't feel like packing food to take to the beach. They have a lot to offer and if you dine on the rooftop, the scenery is amazing! read more

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Not a bad National Park but relative to others it is just OK. In the last month we went to three national parks and four national monuments in Colorado so it is hard to fairly compare this place vs. The Great Sand Dunes National Park. Feels like Indiana's DC contingent called in a favor by this being made a NP. We did like the homes from the Worlds Fair and Mt Baldy (even if you cannot climb it). The sites were much more spread out then we guessed from just glancing at the map. We did not do the state park since we had limited time. The views of the lake and the beaches were nice. The ranger in the visitor center was very helpful and pointed out her favorites as recommendations. We are glad we stopped but... read more

You Must Hike the 3 Dune Challenge Trail! This was such an epic hike!! It's pretty challenging, A LOT of very steep up and down hills. The truly unique thing is that the entire trail is made of sand. It was such a surreal feeling walking through these enormous woods, barefoot with my feet in the sand. I can't recommend this hike enough read more

Indiana Dunes State Park - 3 Dune Challenge Sign - Parks Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

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One of the best and closest beaches in Indiana. We love stopping by and camping on good weather summer/Fall days. It's our go to spot to hang out with friends and take our dog to the pet friendly beach area. We love the simplicity of the beach and get to see Chicago skyline on a very good and sunny weather day. Make note that although dunes is exceptional, it is extremely crowded with long entrance wait times, shower lines and just finding a good spot to read and hang with family and friends. Retired communities flock on weekdays and are just not welcome to younger generation and throw a fit at pets or pretty much anything. There's a lot of flies on sultry and hot days and can be super itchy and stressful without the right medication. That said there are a variety of easy, medium and tough hikes to keep yourself busy or just hang out in the parking area. Dunes camping sells out the moment slots open so this requires AMPLE planning. read more

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Indiana Dunes State park is a must visit when in the northern Indiana area. I've never been here before and really found the state park by mistake. I thought I was in the National Park. Kinda confusing as they have different rules. We had a great time at the beach on a crowded Saturday. The parking lot is huge, but fills up quickly by about noon. There is a $7.00 fee for Indiana residents and $12.00 for non. read more

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Love all our national parks but this one is so different. Truly somewhere for families

One of favorite places. Great trail system. Beautiful beach. The restaurant is terrible. Bring your own food.

A decent campground for what it is. With the exception of hiking the dunes and the beach nothing else to really do at this campground. The dunes are beautiful and on clear days the views of Chicago can be outstanding. Our only issue on this last trip was with the washrooms. We understand that campgrounds close down for the winter season. We went Easter weekend and they only had 1 washroom available for the entire camp. Lines at times were over 30 minutes if someone was in showering. Knowing it was a holiday weekend why would they have not opened the bathrooms 3 days earlier? They showed up first thing Monday morning to start opening them up as the campground was clearing out. Other then that we had a great time and will certainly return. read more

Very well maintained facility. It has the beautiful dunes and beaches between the industrial city of Indiana and Chicago. U can see chicago city line on the left. Also, they have a very clean shower area for family who came to have fun here read more

While I was waiting for my husband to get off work, I made a pit stop and visited the Indiana Dunes State Park! It was a nice cool evening. I felt completely safe walking along the beach by myself. The view was breathtaking cotton candy color (a soft baby pink and blue color). Highly recommend this place! Great for a nice stroll or if you wanna get away and feel the wind brush your against your skin. read more

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This national park actually has a pretty unique and varied landscape--you'll find dense woodlands, swampy bogs, and massive sand dunes all along the shore of Lake Michigan. It's undeniably beautiful, though potentially undeserving of the coveted "National Park" status if you are comparing it to Yosemite or the Grand Canyon. It's also an unusual layout for a national park, with private housing developments and polluting industrial facilities looming nearby. Cowles Bog & the Dune Succession staircases are both great hikes. read more

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Beautiful day at the beach. Not too crowded, mostly clean (just typical evidence humans have been there). The water was nice and there were lifeguards present. Spent about five hours in the sun, visited the general store for snacks. Great family day! read more

Indiana Dunes State Park - Lake Michigan looking pretty - Parks Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

We visited Kemil beach yesterday and the parking really bummed out our entire experience. For all the Chicago area peeps, this beach was only about an hour away which was SO exciting for us. We didn't realize how close it was! We did a little research before we went and most people mentioned that there was plenty of parking so we didn't think twice about it. Also going on a Sunday at 10:45am, we thought we would have no problems with parking. We arrived and ended up driving around for an hour to try and find a spot circling around and around. There's a few main parking lots we noticed near this beach that both had "lot full" signs at the entrance/exit. This was our first time coming here so we nicely asked the parking lot park ranger that was attending the lot what her advice would be on parking if these lots continue to stay full. She interrupted me before I could finish asking the question with, "call the number" and pointed to a sign. As I tried to finish my sentence again, she interrupted AGAIN with "call the number." Her tone was rude and it was really unnecessary. We called the number and it was an automated voice machine, so obviously not helpful at all. We drove back where we came in and found parking FINALLY about 2 miles out. With traffic and our beach items, the walk was exhausting. There is so much space for another parking lot that they could build here and even charge for. We would have paid $20 to just find a spot quickly and get on with our day. Once we sat down, we were able to relax- finally! The beach was clean and people were social distancing. The water felt amazing and our Lucky girl had a blast bopping around in the water. About an hour later there was a park security man that came by to tell everyone the "water is closed" because of the rip currents and high tides. The beach bathrooms were pleasantly clean and we will give this beach another shot. Next time, we're going to aim to get here before 9AM to avoid all parking issues and hope for a better experience. read more

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I found Indiana Dunes State Park to be more worthwhile of a visit than Indiana Dunes National Park. Weird you would think... Well actually, just recently the National Parks Service designated a portion of this beach coast area a National Park...while keeping the State Park designation as well. For my first time journey ever here to both the National and State Parks...I found it a bit confusing as to which segments were divided into National parts...and which to State parts. Regardless, when I first arrived, I headed straight for the Visitors Center (which you can simply plug into Google Maps to find, otherwise it's tricky to know where to go) which was actually for the National Park component. No problem. Even here there were Park Rangers available to answer any questions I may have had. So yes...there is the National Park element to Indiana Dunes but I found it to be quite boring and the sights, attractions and hikes were pretty irrelevant from my point of view. Honestly I really felt like I had no fulfilling moments during my time in the National Park portion. Hmmm. Yet, I found this State Park branch of Indiana Dunes much more memorable. And the State Park here is famous for it's 3 DUNE CHALLENGE! Yes, hiking the 3 Dunes was certainly the highlight from my visit. Although the 3 Dune Challenge isn't much in terms of length...at least the sights and scenery sort of better represented what this Indiana Dunes Beach and Coast was all about. And for what makes Indiana Dunes so special...this State Park division was the main hub of activity for hanging out and enjoying the waters of Lake Michigan. The 3 Dunes Challenge is a 1.5 mile hike gaining 550 feet in elevation. But...climbing the sand hills in the middle of the day over the summer was rather difficult. I was certainly working up a sweat and digging my shoes into the sand to gain traction. It was hard. But...arriving atop all 3 dunes was worth it. From high above...the views of the Indiana coastline was photogenic. With the the sun in full force...it reflected well onto the waters creating good opportunities to grab pictures of the sweeping beach coast with the waves crashing near the shores. The scenery above all 3 dunes were probably my best memories from hanging out in the State Park. If I were to recommend anything besides swimming in the waters...it'd be to trek this 3 Dunes pathway. Info on the 3 Dune Challenge: - In the State Park...follow Trail #8 for the 3 Dunes. - The 3 Dunes climbs Mount Jackson, Mount Holden and Mount Tom. - These 3 Dunes are the tallest in all of the State/National Park. - Atop any of the 3 Dunes, you can walk down any of them to gain access to the beach and waters. From Mount Jackson I did trek lower towards the shores to capture photos of the beach shoreline, before climbing back up to the top and finishing out the challenge. When arriving in the State Park, parking can be crowded during summer times. I struggled to find a spot. There were roughly 10 different trails in this State Park area...you can choose any paths numbered 1 - 10 and they're all clearly marked. Since there were so many hikes to traverse, this State Park was best suited for getting out on the trails and soaking up the picturesque surroundings within the 15 miles of beaches as the focal point for day activities. Whereas in the National Park sector in West Beach, I hiked another portion of a trail called The 3 Loop Trail which included...Dune Succession Loop, West Beach Loop and Long Lake Loop. This combined 3 mile loop fell very flat for me. There was nothing to see and I was letdown by the surroundings being bland and dull. I definitely suggest spending your time in the State Park to perform all your hiking and sightseeing. Before exploring along any fun hikes...there's a small Visitors Center for restrooms or to buy souvenirs from the State Park, which is separate from the National Park VC. I discovered that most of the action with visitors and tourists hanging out was here in the State Park, compared to a few quiet and secluded spots in the National Park like West Beach, Central Beach and Kemil Beach. There was a whole separate section in this State Park for trailers and RV's to spend the night camping in tents near the beach, and for picnics among campgrounds. I visited back in August and almost every RV spot was taken. I can't repeat enough how Indiana Dunes State Park was the best part about exploring here in Porter and Chesterton, Indiana...right on the banks of Lake Michigan. With the 3 Dunes Challenge and some breathtaking views of the beach coastline...you'll be much more impressed with hanging out at the State Park portion than anything offered at the National Park. Ultimately...I was a fan of Indiana Dunes State Park and disappointed with the sights at the National Park. You would think it would be the opposite way around. No matter what, I think it felt satisfactory enough to check 2 parks off my To-Do List within 1 entire area. read more

I can't believe that this is Indiana. What a 2020 Social distancing gem! We went during the week in late September and although the camp sites were booked over halfway we rarely had any issues with distancing in the campsite, on the beach or anywhere else in the park. We of course spent time at the beach - heads up, you can't count on swimming here always - be sure to check their website or call to find out if it's swimming season or to make sure they have enough life guards on duty. We did the 3 Dune challenge and hiked trails 8 and 9. The sand makes for a crazy workout - heads up! Really gorgeous and spectacular views. It felt almost like I was at the ocean. Such a special place for Indiana, Glad that the National park has joined the scene too! read more

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This is our 25th National Park, and sadly underwhelming after having seen so many more parks worthy of that lofty status! Also, because most of the paths on the beach access were closed off... But it is what it is! Still, the park rangers are just as helpful, friendly and the awesomest people I know to serve this country!!! At least it's free. As long as you stay on the national park side and not venture to the state park side... read more

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I met a few college and high school friends at the Dunes for a great weekend of winter camping during the polar vortex. The campground is well run, secured, and has great amenities even for sub-zero snow storms. The bathroom was warm and even had hot water in the shower. Don't forget to bring sleds for the dunes if you go during the winter! read more

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Hands down the worst, and most unworthy, national park I have visited. The infrastructure is terrible. So many people were visiting, but the park has no room. Very little parking. Poor roads & layout. On top of that, the park is simply unworthy. I do not know motivated the politicians to push the bill that made this place into a park. It had to be political because there are so many better parks in the area that are far more worthy of national park status. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore should have been upgraded to a national park before this disaster of park was. This place should be demoted back to a National Lakeshore....maybe even dropped as a NPS site all together. It bring very little to the table. I saw every major area of the park except for one due to it being shut down because it couldn't hold the cars & traffic. There were nasty people at the beach. Litter thrown everywhere. I will never go back. I wish I had never gone. read more

Very nice park/beach! Great for walking and other outdoor activities.

Very underwhelming park. I just wanted to check it off my National park listen when I was in Chicago. There was not a soul in site. The visitor center was not open. The parking lots are very small. It cannot accommodate for a lot of people. Very limited access to the beaches. Oh and to find the National Park sign for a picture? Good luck. Not a soul in sight to point you in the right direction. read more

TL:DR - An enjoyable experience. Lots of sand, so either wear sandles or be ok going barefoot to avoid a sandy shoe. Lots of shade in the wooded areas. Little to no litter throughout. Not too crowded on the weekdays compared to other parks weekday visitors. Not sure if I got lucky or what, but this place was pretty empty when I came on a Thursday afternoon. Weather was nice, not super hot, had a breeze, partly cloudy. All of this converged to make a great experience. I have previously gone to the Warren dunes to hike, and I honestly couldn't tell you the difference. It all seemed about the same too me. I just happened to enjoy Indiana Dunes better again due to the weather, lack of people, and a lot less bugs. The trails were about half sand and half soil. I ended up just taking a pair of tennis shoes and took them off when on the sand to avoid getting them filled with sand and put them back on when it got to more soil-y parts. Hiking up the dunes in shoes is just asking for a sandy shoe as you either need to drive your toes into the sand going up, or heels in going down. The water and trails were relatively nice. Little to no litter. Tails were shaded well and the water was cool. Decent amount of rocks in near the shallow ends though. Trail heads were a little hard to find, but once I found them they were easy to follow. I encountered about 6 people/groups of people on the trail, zero had face masks, but unlike other trips to Starved Rock, there was plenty of space to not have to walk directly by them. The nature center was open with masks required and the water fountain closed (but bottle refill station open). All in all, a great day. I have heard the weekends get packed, so I'll just stick to the weekdays for now. read more

I'm quite happy that they didn't take the IN Dunes State Park away when they created the IN Dunes National Park in February 2019. Honestly, this park was much better than many areas of the national park. We had a state park pass ($50 annual) so we decided to hit up this park as per the ranger's suggestion to take the Three Dunes Challenge. We came around 11am on a Saturday and waited about 20 minutes or so to get to thru the pay gate. There were only two lines, so I would hope they are going to make room for 3 or 4 given that it's now a national park to allow for more traffic flow. I just finished the Mighty Five in Utah (all five national parks) for a week-long camping and hiking adventure. Honestly, the Three Dunes Challenge was one of the hardest hikes I've done given that the entire trail is sand. Up and down the dunes is a major workout. With every step, you slide down, so be prepared. We came during the summer so many of the views at the tops of the dunes were covered in foliage and trees so you weren't able to see much, but it was still a beautiful hike. The SP has many accesses to beaches which aren't as crazy or crowded as the national park beaches but they can still get pretty crazy. When we were leaving, the line looked as if it was at least an hour long wait, so prepare accordingly and get there early. A great state park that I would encourage all to visit. read more

Indiana Dunes State Park - Parks Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

Beautiful spot right on the beach. However, we ordered the Midwest Classic . It's a Perch sandwich. I was excited since we don't get this on the west coast. They came pretty breaded up but the waiter came over as we were finishing up and says "oh that's ocean perch! There's a huge difference. Are you serious ? What a bogus menu item!!!! Lake perch is what we thought but it was a frozen puck from who knows where! That's bad. That's was the only Red Flag here. Everything else was pretty good, including the service. Not sure how many stars to rate. read more

What can I say ? I love the dunes, I only stayed 5 days and could totally stay longer, still so much todo and see. I did the 3 dune challenge and realized I'm super outta shape and about had a heart attack . Take water and bug spray to do that , thank me later! The beach was wonderful! Even the seagulls where polite , just hung around didn't bother read more

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What a fun place!! The memories from many years ago that flood my mind. I'm so glad we can still climb these dunes. Please don't take that away like you did on Mount Baldy. I enjoyed taking my dog with us too. She was in my backpack since she's too small to climb these dunes. What a great time. read more

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Beyond the natural beauty of the dunes, high marks for the campground and guests that were very respectful during evening hours. If your looking for a quite campground with great hiking for a short or extended stay - highly recommend the clean quiet campground at Indiana Dunes State Park. Great job park staff! read more

Great and yet difficult trails at 8, 9 and 10. 9 is the most scenic and 10 has you walking on the beach for quite some time. Don't be fooled by the length of trail 8. Toughest by far! Please be aware that Indiana Dunes has two parks: the State Park and the National Lakeshore Park. read more

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