Dunes Kankakee Bike Trail

Getting There
Trailhead Parking Lots
North Trailhead: Indiana Dunes State Park, fee collection parking lot.
South Trailhead: Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, 1215 North State Road 49, Porter, IN 46304.

GPS Coordinates
North Trailhead: 41.657873, -87.063324 (Decimal Degrees).
South Trailhead: 41.633793, -87.054220 (Decimal Degrees).

Need to Know
Hours & Information

• Hours – Open daily from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm. The Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is open daily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the Monday of Labor Day weekend. The center is open daily from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm for the remainder of the year.
• Free – No entrance or parking fee.
• Ride Distance – 3.6 miles.
• Ride Time – 30 minutes.
• Difficulty – Easy with a change in elevation going over the U.S Highway 12 and 20 bridges.
• Trail Surface – Paved.
• Facilites – Year-round restrooms and potable water are available at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center when open.
• Pets – Permitted on a leash (6' or shorter).
• Prohibited – Littering, hunting, and removing plants.
• Prohibited – Motorized vehicles.
• There is ample paved parking at both trailheads.
• The north trailhead is located at the Indiana Dunes State Park fee collection parking lot.
• The south trailhead is located at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center.

Safety

• Always wear a helmet when riding a bike.
• Please stay on the trail and respect closed area signs. Going off trail damages fragile habitat.
• Ticks are present year-round. Take precautionary measures to prevent bites.
• Be prepared for changing weather conditions.
• In case of an emergency or to report a crime, call 1-800-PARK-TIP.

Accessibility

• The trail is wheelchair accessible.

 

---

Trail Information

Click here for a list of all biking trails at the Indiana Dunes National Park.

Download a national parks interactive trail guide phone app. Apple or Android.

Dunes Kankakee Bike Trail
Ride Distance: 3.6 miles round trip, 83 feet of elevation gain, 1% average grade, 4% maximum grade.
Ride Time: 30 minutes.

The trail runs along State Road 49 from the State Park entrance to the north and the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center to the south. The trail also connects to the Calumet Bike Trail and the Dune Park South Shore Railroad train station. The trail is flat with the exception of the U.S. Highway 12 and U.S. Highway 20 overpasses.

History & Background
The Dunes Kankakee Trail is an ambitious trail project that, if and when completed, will run the entire length of Porter County. It will connect the Indiana Dunes State Park and Indiana Dunes National Park at the north end to the Kankakee River at the south end. It would tie into the coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail at its southern terminus.