Enjoy the outdoors year-round at Indiana Dunes National Park. From swimming and sunbathing in the summer to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, each season offers visitors the chance to experience this unique park.
Hiking is rewarding in every season. Spring wildflowers are abundant along the Little Calumet River in April and May. Summer is an ideal time to build sand castles on the 15 miles of beaches and admire Lake Michigan sunsets. The Calumet and Porter Brickyard Bike Trails are especially pretty in the late summer and early fall. The colors of fall can be enjoyed from late September through October, with the peak color occurring around mid-October. Bird watching is especially interesting during spring and fall migrations. Animal tracks are often visible after a recent snowfall.
Camping and fishing are popular ways to relax at the dunes. Overnight camping is available from April 1 through October 31 at the Dunewood Campground. Fishing the Little Calumet River during the summer steelhead run is a worthy challenge and the Portage Lakefront fishing pier offers lakeside fishing.
Discover all that the Indiana Dunes National Park has to offer. Use these pages to choose your activities and plan your visit. Be sure to stop by our Visitor Center. Enjoy the nearly 500 guided tours and activities that are offered each year.
Here's a list of things to do with more information and locations.
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 The 1966 Hiking Challenge is comprised of 19 hikes that cover 66 miles of trail in the park, celebrating the park’s founding in 1966. We will offer 19 weekly ranger led hikes every Saturday at 8:00 am starting on May 11 and culminating at the Outdoor Adventure Festival on September 14.  What is the Diana Dunes Dare?
It is a hiking challenge!
It is a ghost story re-told!
We are daring you to be like dune advocate Alice Mabel Gray, also known as Diana of the Dunes. She hiked and lived in the dunes on her own in an abandoned shanty for over 9 years in the early 1900s and took an interest in the history, ecology, and preservation of Indiana Dunes.
How to Complete the Dare.
1 - Go to West Beach.
West Beach Parking Lot
376 North County Line Road, Gary, IN 46403  Kayaking is increasingly popular on Lake Michigan since the inception of the Lake Michigan Water Trail and in area waterways like the Little Calumet River and Burns Waterway. Try a new challenge by kayaking or canoeing the Little Calumet River Water Trail: East Branch.  Fifteen miles of sandy beach along the southern shore of Lake Michigan offer a wide variety of recreational activities. Whether it's enjoying a summer sunset stroll or marveling at the arctic beauty of Lake Michigan's shelf ice, you can enjoy the beach in all seasons.  Enjoy an equestrian ride through ancient dune formations on the Glenwood Dunes Trails system. These trails are the only horseback trails and you must bring your own horse. The trail is host to almost 15 miles of interconnected loops. Be sure to bring a map as there are 13 junctions interconnecting the loops.  Indiana Dunes National Park has a lot to explore, both in the park and online. Check out this page for fun things to do to explore the park virtually. Become a Junior Ranger Today!  Whether you have an hour, a half day, or a full day, the beaches, dunes, and trails of the Indiana Dunes offer relaxation, inspiration, and fun adventures.  Whether you have an hour, a half day, or a full day, the beaches, dunes, and trails of Indiana Dunes offer relaxation, inspiration, and fun adventures. This list highlights some of the must-see sights in the park. This is perfect for people planning a day trip.  Whether you have an hour, a half day, or a full day, the beaches, dunes, and trails of Indiana Dunes offer relaxation, inspiration, and fun adventures. This list highlights some of the must-see sights in the park. This is perfect for people planning a day full of activities and possibly an overnight.  The park is comprised of over 15,000 acres of dunes, oak savannas, swamps, bogs, marshes, prairies, rivers, and forests. It contains 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline spanning the distance from Gary to Michigan City. Lake Michigan is part of the largest complex of freshwater lakes in the world. The national park's beaches are the park's most significant recreational resource.
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