Indiana Dunes

In our last post, we talked about how much we love staying at campgrounds because we always end up having lovely conversations with our neighbors and getting some travel tips from them. When we were in the Adirondacks, we had a chat with a couple from Michigan, who gave us a list of “must see” spots as we made our way west. One of these stops was Indiana Dunes State Park. When we realized this fell perfectly on our route from Michigan to Madison, WI, we figured we’d spend the morning there. And how I wish we had budgeted more time for this wonderful park!

There was an entrance fee of $12 for out-of-state guests, but it was well worth it. As we reviewed the trail maps, we were torn between a few different trails, but eventually opted for Trail 9, as it offered the “best representative view of the dunes" and "Good view of lake” and that sounded like a perfect balance to see it all on our short stop. It was described as a rugged, 3.75 mile trail, but we were all ready to tackle it and explore the park.

We started our trail at the Nature Center, which was an extremely well-done display of the history and ecology of the area. Even as an adult, I’d definitely recommend a stop in here! There were local animal displays, information about a notable shipwreck on Lake Michigan, a discussion of the ecology of the area, and so much more. I love seeing such detailed and interactive nature centers like this, I think they’re wonderful for children (and adults!) to learn a lot in a super fun way and it shows how much the people who run this park genuinely love and are excited about their park.

This trailhead is the starting point for Trails 8, 9, and 10. As we started, there were lots of people branching off on Trail 8, so we were a little glad to be on a quieter trail. The first portion was a nice, shady walk through the woods. Again, we were both fascinated by the sandy soil of the area - which made a lot of sense, seeing as we were climbing on and around dunes! The trail then branches off into a loop, and we decided to tackle it counter-clockwise. It seems as though we went against the grain, as most other people went clockwise. But I always love investing in the hiking first and then getting all the views at the end. We continued our jaunt through the woods and as we scaled our first sandy hill, we were rewarded with our first peaking views of Lake Michigan! This little peak was gorgeous, and we had a lot more views ahead.

From here, the trail follows a sort of ridgewalk along the dune with amazing lake views. Every step of this part of the trail seemed to be more beautiful than the last. Just as the trail opens up, there's a little off-trail overlook that showcased the Big 3 dunes, stunning expansive lake views, and even the Chicago skyline in the distance! From here we had some exposed and sandy uphill climbs. As noted below, this part was a bit of a challenge for us as the sun was really starting to warm things up. This stretch of open dune overlooking the lake was the most breathtaking, as you could really take in the dunes, the sandy trails, and the vastness of Lake Michigan.

Once we tumbled down the open expanse of dune, we were back onto a shady forest trail and shortly finished up the looped section of Trail 9. We followed the trail back out, opting for the "shortcut" that connects Trail 9 to Trail 10 and cuts the distance back slightly. But it was worthwhile just to see some different terrain, as this section was flatter and seemed to have more pretty little colorful flowers lining the path. We finished up our hike a little awestruck at what Indiana Dunes had to offer!!

One key recommendation I’d make if visiting with dogs is to arrive and hike early. We started our trail at 10am, and it took about 1.5 hours. As we wrapped up our time on the open dunes, the sand was beginning to get quite warm, and Reese was clearly unhappy and uncomfortable. Although it hurts his pride, he got a piggyback ride from Dad to the shady, tree-lined trail at the bottom of the dune. I’d definitely start these trails earlier next time, and plan to be done by 11. The beaches at the State Park are not dog friendly, however, there were a few open beaches at the National Park next door that were open to dogs, so that’s something I’d like to explore next time.

I’d definitely love to return to this park and extend our visit with a stay at the campground. I know we’ve got it in us to conquer “The 3 Dune Challenge” and I can’t wait to scramble up the dunes for another stunning view as a reward!