We visited this park during our cross-country road trip after exploring several other National…read moreParks along the way. While we enjoyed our visit, it felt quite different from many of the other national parks we've experienced. One thing that stood out was the number of residential neighborhoods within the park boundaries. Because of that, it didn't have the same expansive, remote feel that we typically associate with a National Park. In our opinion, it felt more like a very large and well-maintained state park than a traditional national park. That said, the shoreline along Lake Michigan is beautiful. Our kids had a wonderful time playing on the sandy beaches and splashing in the lake, and it was a great way to spend part of the day. The combination of beaches, dunes, and scenic views makes it a unique destination. Overall, while it may not have been our favorite National Park, it's still worth visiting--especially if you're in the area or traveling with children who will enjoy the beaches and easy access to Lake Michigan.

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.

I was here for the lighthouse and enjoyed much of the walk. I would have gone the whole way but the…read morewind was too strong for my comfort. And also, I hadn't purchased a park pass and didn't want to stay long enough that they might notice. The park and the riverwalk are lovely. The view of the lake is amazing. Well worth the visit. If you're planning on buying an annual park pass, it's even better. [Review 20619 overall - 150 in Indiana - 1600 of 2023.]

It's ok for Indiana. It's small, next to steel mills. Water kinda gross. Too bad Indiana doesn't do…read moremore with their shoreline compared to Illinois and Michigan.

This is a very nice national park. The sand dunes are amazing, and Lake Michigan is beautiful…read more There are plenty of short trails, and you are able to experience all the different types of landscapes. There are the beaches, or sand dunes, marsh areas, and a prairie trail. There are even historical buildings. Some of the slopes are steep, so be careful. It was very beautiful and wasn't too busy at all. There is a $25 fee, and you can totally do the park in a day or two.

When my wife and I discovered that Indiana Dunes had become a new National Park, we were very…read moreexcited to come visit. We immediate made plans to drive up from Central Indiana the next time we came to see family. This past week was the first chance we got, and we jumped at the opportunity. A welcome surprise was finding out that the National Park was FREE. Wow! Free is a pretty rare thing these days. (The nearby state park has a fee, if you decide to go there, but not the National Park). We enjoyed the Houses of Tomorrow, explored the beachfront, and even dipped our feet in the cold water. My only regret is that I wish we could have stayed longer. Next visit, we will probably spend more time at the sand dunes themselves.

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.

Indiana Dunes State Park was the first stop on my road trip across America, and unfortunately, it…read morewas a pretty disappointing experience. I came here really excited and ready to hike, but visiting in the summertime meant dealing with an unbelievable number of mosquitoes. I expected bugs, but I have never seen anything like this! My friend and I were completely covered in mosquito repellent, and it honestly felt like we were walking through a fog of mosquitoes. We were literally trying to run down the trail to get away from them. There was hardly anyone else around, which we quickly understood because the conditions were so difficult. We kept going for about 20 minutes hoping the bugs would eventually clear up, but they never did, so unfortunately, we had to turn around. The beach itself was nice, but I didn't come here for the beach I came to hike and experience the trails. I was really disappointed that we couldn't actually enjoy the hike because of the mosquitoes. Maybe it would be a completely different experience at another time of year, but based on our summer visit, I can only give it

Beautiful clean park! Nice neighborhood, very well taken care of and the equipment was very fun for…read moremy kids!

This is a very good park to visit and spend time. It has a little bit of everything. You do have to…read morepay an entrance fee during the summer months. There is ample parking once you get in though. The park has a little lake that you can swim in (if a lifeguard is precent). Around the beach/lake is a walking path, that does get a bit narrow in some parts. It is paved and well maintained. There is also covered pavilions around the park there are 4 decent sized ones with grills. One even has a patio that overlooks the beach/lake.In addition to the large and medium sized pavilions, there are a few personal sized ones scattered about the park. At the front of the park is an adequate baseball field. It is well groomed and ready to play on. Next to the ball field is a full basketball court. It is nice and has a smooth new looking deck. The rims are in good repair and have adjustable heights. I would love to shoot a few airballs here. In the back of the park is a dog park that is basically a fenced in area with a bench placed in there for you to sit and watch your pooch frolic. Behind the entrances to the lake is a sand volleyball court that needs a little TLC. The net was down while I was there, but did not look like it would take much to get the court back up and running. The park has two playground areas. The bigger of the playground areas is next to the baseball field. It has some pretty updated and newer equipment including, see-saws, merry go rounds, rock climbing walls, swings, rocking animals, a saucer swing and slide. The ground is covered in wood chips and has rubber mats in high traffic areas such as under the swings. The playground is very impressive. The other playground is by the lake entrance and is ok, but not as nice as the one on the other side. It has a set of the older style swings and a small jungle gym with a slide. Both play areas are accessible though, which is cool. I really like this park and was surprised that this is the first review. You can spend an entire day here and not even know it. There is a lot to do and it is a very relaxing place. It is well maintained and has a friendly staff. definetley a must visit.

A long weekend with the Kid...short flight from Minneapolis and off to relaxation. I can't say…read moreenough about the Crystal Clear Water and great sand bars enabled this chicken to get on the paddle board. The equipment such as the lily pads, kayaks, paddle boards, beach chairs, etc were available for free usage (bonus). You definitely get to utilize your calf muscles as our cabin over looked the lake so easy walking down to beach and little harder coming up but I am going keep up the great exercise when I get home, right? If you really want a work out hit the trails and the dunes. I would say the cabins are old style with great finds from garage sales. I say I'm cool with this, I could really relax and not worry about cleanup and the stuff I wanted to forget in the City.

This is my absolute favorite beach. It is quiet and secluded. However, there is very little…read moreparking. The views are spectacular. A great place to spend the day. Bring some snacks, cold drinks and your favorite person.

This is a nice beach. It has restrooms, rinse stations, and very clean sand. It is small and not…read moremany places to park for how nice it is. They have a picnic area that is kept very clean as well. We went mid week at sunset and it was perfect. Easy walk down and nice beach area. Could have also viewed from platforms at parking level.

Better communication on the phone. Called to see if there are any spots available, she must of…read moreconfused me with someone else who may also called, wasn't very pleasant on the phone.

Me and my father were SUPPOSED to be camping this weekend and we did. For one day. Yesterday we…read morewere rudely interrupted by the owner during our dinner. She told us we weren't in the right spot and that the water doesn't work over where we were, But it costed $10 more than where we were supposed to be when we got water and electricity? She then proceeded to get angry when my dad said sorry and then said sorry didn't mean anything AND THEN said that she was sorry for interrupting us. She was a hypocrite and a mask to be unfolded.

This was our first time ever to any dunes and my sons number 1 "want" was to sled down the dunes…read more So, we rented three sled sandboards and one stand‑up sandboard for an hour, which came to $100 plus tax. The employee handed us the boards with no real instructions other than "wax them, but not too much". The first issue was that an hour goes by incredibly fast once you factor in the walk across the large parking lot and the long climb up the dunes. By the time the kids finally reached the top, none of the three sled sandboards would move, not even a little. They ended up hauling the sleds up the dune only to run back down dragging them behind, which was definitely not what we paid for. My nephew on the stand‑up board did manage to make it halfway down. Overall, some guidance like how to sit, how to shift your weight, how much wax to use might have made a difference. As it was, the experience felt like a waste of money for us.

It was a busy day, list of people in line for paddling or kayaking as it was a perfect day at…read moreWarren Dunes. The person working today Sunday 7/31 was doing his best. He is friendly and helpful. We rented to paddles and we had a grate time