I thought this was a great park! There's a beach, zoo, and more…read more The beach was beautiful! The boardwalk was nice to walk along the beach. Plus there were lots of picnic and seating areas. The parking is nice and there's plenty of it. But I ended up having to pay twice since each lot had a different zone code even though we were in the same park.

wouldn't come here unless you're ready to pay a parking ticket, these low life's that can't get a…read morereal job will be on your ass down to the minute you aren't in your car. saw a lady get out of her car to go over to the kiosk to pay for a parking pass and get a ticket in the process and had to flag down the bozo who wrote it to say she was literally getting a pass. just absolutely ridiculous they literally have nothing better to do then ride around on their little golf carts and write tickets as if they get commission per ticket. never coming here again

The beach area has been slightly updated! They cleaned up the front so it's a flatter walk onto the…read moresand and out to the water now- used to be a slight incline to get past. More signage and a lifebuoy have been installed as well at the front of the beach

My family & I love going to Porter beach for the day! We've been doing this for years. It's not…read morethat far away from Rockford, so it makes a nice day trip or overnight, staying at a nearby hotel.

Beautiful Beach! Went to see the Northern Lights and even though it was getting late, we captured…read moresome great photos!

Took a day drive with my family! 71miles away. By the time you get gas, some quality beef jerky,…read moreand begin driving, then you.are there already. YOU GOTTA DO IT.

THIS spot! Stumbled upon it driving by and what a pleasant surprise. There are stairs for those…read morethat is an issue for; but do know that they did a lovely job of incorporating several deck levels, nooks, and benches that you can enjoy, or use as resting moments up and down. This is a residential neighborhood with many beach rentals, so parking is limited, if busy, bikes might be a better bet. The beach itself is lovely for relaxing, walking, running, dogs, etc. Do respect the dune restorations, and the private property of others. Enjoy!

Nice beach with few steps leading directly to the sand. Parking is a bit sus. I'd highly recommend…read morearriving early to get a parking spot close to the beach. If not, there's a chance you'll have to park down the road a ways. Very clean and well kept beach with beautiful views of Lake Michigan. I highly recommend!

My friend and I visited on Monday, and the weather was perfect. Mt Baldy was almost empty at around…read more5pm. The giant sand dune is a sight to behold. It's super easy to get to the area where you climb the dune and get to the other side. A ramp was made after the well-known story of the boy who was swallowed into the dunes in 2013 (look for the news story in Google), so it's perfectly safe as long as you don't climb areas that are clearly marked as prohibited/peligro. The views are stunning! The beautiful blue water, a setting sun, a vast empty beach below, and gulls singing In the air create a very peaceful place to sit, relax, #latergram, and take it all in. There is even a spot where you and a loved one can take photos and get a good background view. Check out my pics and click if you found my review useful, funny, and cool.

We have some history here, and a two-part one at that. When my son was young..2-4yrs old, we used…read moreto come here each spring. We'd walk the trail to the point were you deviated up the side of the dune (Mt. Baldy) and ascended to the top where we would explore and play. I used to post pictures of the views from the top...most believing we were at a Caribbean island or some elegant destination. Nope..just northern Indiana! Then our visits were halted. An unfortunate accident happened to a young boy here about 8 years ago and the dunes were completely shot down to visitors. Fast forward to 2020..we finally made our way back. Mt. Baldy has been forever closed to foot traffic which is very sad, most likely linked to the incident that happened years ago. You can still walk the trail around Mt. Baldy which leads you to the beach, but access on the dune is prohibited. This was a great dune to climb and explore. Hopefully, it reopens again someday.

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.

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!

Still my favorite beach in the area!…read more The ramp about halfway out to the beach is so nice for my mom who uses a walker. Bathrooms were clean. I have never been during a time when the concession stand was open but that is a nice feature as well.

The lake (Michigan) is so vast like the ocean. It amazes me how it looks like the sea. It's like a…read morebeach with lots of sand and don't forget to wear actual protective shoes and that's a Lyft loss because there are rocks coming out of the sand everywhere so be careful. If you have older persons with wheelchairs and walkers, this is not an easy place to go to, but they could stay near the parking lot and look at the ocean, however. So nice. A lightHouse sits here and it's very romantic esp w the sun going down or up. Lots of places to walk and sit.

I go here every year with family. it is the best, you can do different things go to the beach,…read morefish, pool, sports.

terrible everything. lousy service poor food. had to yell at server Tim. manager poor.read more