I really like this Beach. I visited on a random Friday and there was plenty of space to park. I…read moreappreciate it the cleanliness of the beach, love that there was a ramp going from the walkway to the sand but wish that they had the accessible aisles leading onto the sand like I've seen at other beaches. For a Midwest Beach, the water was very clean. Of course one season is over so there weren't any lifeguards and there was signage explaining that you are swimming at your own risk. I like that there are two restaurants very close by and although I hate porta potties I appreciate that they are an option when the bathroom closes. I'd definitely visit again!

I was here for the lighthouse and the beach, which turned out to be pretty darned awesome. Even on…read morea cool autumn morning, it was a great visit. They were not yet enforcing the parking which is always a bonus. There were a few other people - not many - and the lack of crowds was great too. [Review 20618 overall - 149 in Indiana - 1599 of 2023.]

Great park for all ages of young children. Swings for adults to swing their wee ones. A swing for…read morethe differently abled. Good mix of climbing structures for all ages of children. There are covered picnic tables right next to the playground and the bathrooms a few steps away are sparse but very clean. Playground itself is fenced in restricting entrance from the street to one main entrance or through the larger portion of the park where there are baseball fields and a walking path. Ample seating for adults giving good view of the entire play structure. Have your kids to the scavenger hunt on the red wheel of the USS Scott and find all the sea animals in the boat!

Stop 8 is our favorite stretch of Lake Michigan beach in Michigan City, Indiana. We have been…read morecoming here for 21 years! We rent a cottage twice a year just up the boardwalk, in the Beachwalk community. This is the beach that is most convenient as it is only 500 steps from our rental cottage! The water is clean enough to swim. The sand is warm, clean, and delightfully soft, but also with enough stones to make things interesting! I love collecting stones and sea glass. There are attendants who drive by on occasion. Garbage cans are well tended. The beach is clean and quite pretty with a wall of sea grass behind it. Folks have weddings here on occasion, so that's always fun to see. Parking might be tricky though. We walk here from our cottage rental, so I'm not sure where people park if they are not staying at Beachwalk.

What a great hike! So calm and peaceful. And the elevated walkways by the canopies are awesome…read more Try and come here if you can. So close to New Buffalo!

What a beautiful spot! The trails aren't very long but provide a great view of the river and the…read moremarshland. One takes you down the hill from the parking lot out onto a boardwalk through the marsh area, which is full of plants, flowers, and animals in the summer, and out onto an overlook to the river. Heading up takes you to a 60 foot high marsh overlook that sways just a little bit and gives you a great view of the area. Fishing is permitted from the lower deck. The park is free to enter. A very enjoyable walk.

State park is $7 per car for Indiana residents and $20 for all other. Great nature views. Dunes…read moreare 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.

Driving between Cleveland and Chicago, we like to make time for a stop at Indiana Dunes State Park…read more 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!

Living close to the Cincinnati Zoo I've been spoiled being able to attend one of the best zoos in…read morethe country. My experience at the Washington Park Zoo today far surpassed any visit I've had at Cincy. We arrived as soon as it opened, during off season. I had more up close encounters here with animals than I've had at any visit at any other zoo. All of the animals were active. The zoo was clean and well cared for. The employees were friendly and the animals were obviously well cared for. To top it off we went to the observation tower and had fantastic views of the lake. I loved our visit here and wouldn't hesitate to return.

Great hidden gem that is reasonably priced! We visited Memorial Day weekend with the kids and had a…read moregreat time. For $10 there are a variety of exotic and domestic animals to be fascinated by. You get your monies worth! If you don't like animals, then come to enjoy the views! The tower is definitely a workout, but worth it when you reach the top. You see beautiful view of the river and the lakeshore. Love it! This is our new family spot when we want to get away!

I go out of my way to visit lighthouses but this one on Indiana's shore of Lake Michigan (I'll bet…read moreyou didn't know that Indiana had a shoreline!) was well worth the trip. It's a pretty significant walk from the parking area (lightly enforced during offseason) and I went all the way out to the lighthouse and then climbed around to the other side of it. A little crazy, considering the ground isn't level and was slightly wet from spray. But yeah, I'm crazy. Worth it! [Review 20616 overall - 147 in Indiana - 1597 of 2023.]

The ladies were friendly and very knowledgeable about the lighthouse and area around it. Enjoyed…read moretouring from top to bottom for a small fee.

This is a nice little space but it's clearly not the reason you're here. You're here for the beach…read morewith the lighthouse. But on your way, stop here and check out this small plaza that has a view of the drawbridge, some tables with chess/checkerboards on them and a police/firefighter memorial. And maybe you'll luck out and some pretty ship will be going by on Trail Creek. [Review 20617 overall - 148 in Indiana - 1598 of 2023.]

This is a nice riverside plaza that provides a spot to take a break. There are tables at which to…read moresit with a bag lunch or a coffee. You can even watch the fishermen to see how they're faring. There's also a first-responder's memorial up the stairs at the corner of the landing for the bridge that is worth checking out.

Planned a wedding here and the experience with our wedding coordinator was pretty sub par. Make…read moresure you are keeping track of everything that is verbally agreed upon and that you have plenty of copies of any contracts you sign with her. They will try any angle to not do what they need to do and will try to upcharge you after the fact. Beautiful place; I wish I had a different experience to go with it.

Absolutely stunning grounds and all the staff I came in contact with were super helpful and…read morefriendly.

Amazing park just outside of New Buffalo. Beautiful, clean, fun. Tons of playground equipment and…read moreeven trails in the woods to explore. Lots of parking. Basketball courts. Bocce ball courts. Public bathrooms and drinking fountains too. Splash zone: The last time we visited, it wasn't quite warm enough to play in water, but WOW is that an awesome feature worth mentioning in its own paragraph. If we lived in the area, you'd better believe that we'd hit this park up several times a week in the summer to cool off. Bravo, City of New Buffalo. Bravo. This is the small town park that lots of big town parks aspire to be.

This is amazing for toddlers and children. Amazing age appropriate playgrounds with safe rubber…read moreflooring directly next to cute splash pad/sprayground. Plenty of picnic tables with pavilion. Such an amazing find for the family.