Indiana Dunes National Park
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Indiana Dunes National Park is home to 15 miles of shoreline along Lake Michigan, and it encompasses 20 square miles of countryside around the Little Calumet River. While the summer is the most popular time to visit the park for beachgoing and hiking, visitors may also come in the winter to enjoy sledding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. You can get free snowshoe rentals at the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education. The Glenwood Dunes Trails and Tolleston Dunes Trail are excellent for cross-country skiing. If you are looking for RV rentals near Indiana Dunes National Park, you'll find plenty of options in cities like Michigan City, Chesterton, Portage, and Gary, all in Indiana. While RVs up to 60 feet in length can easily navigate through Indiana Dunes National Park, some roads may be closed to traffic during certain seasons. To see the most current road closures, you may visit the official National Park Services website. This park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., aside from holidays, although park campers may enter and leave after hours. The best entrance for RVers driving to Indiana Dunes National Park is West Beach, which can be accessed via Indiana State Road 49. The parking lots for the trails found at this national park are quite small and may not accommodate large RVs over 20 feet long. However, many beach area parking lots, like the parking areas near Porter Beach, may accommodate RVs with a parking permit. Permits are included in the price of the entrance fee, which is typically $25 per private vehicle, RVs included.
- Spring 50-80 F
- Summer 64-82 F
- Fall 35-75 F
- Winter 20-40 F
- Coming soon
- Private vehicles: $25
- Motorcycles: $20
- Pedestrians or bicyclists: $15
- Annual pass: $45
RV Rentals Near Indiana Dunes National Park
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Indiana Dunes National Park Hiking Trails
Indiana Dunes National Park offers over 50 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails that are sectioned off in 15 separate trail systems. Trails at the park feature forests, fields, swamps, and beaches. Pets are permitted on all trails, aside from Pinhook Bog Trail and the equestrian portion of the Glenwood Dunes Trail, as long as they are on a 6-foot leash. RV parking in Indiana Dunes National Park for the trails may be limited, but RVers can use the Dune Park bus system to access the trails.
Indiana Dunes National Park Hiking Trails
Things to do Outside Indiana Dunes National Park
The towns just outside this park, including Chesterton, IN, Portage, IN, and Chicago, IL, offer plenty of shopping and dining options. One notable restaurant in the area is Val's Famous Pizza and Grinders, which offers spaghetti-stuffed sandwiches.
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RV Resorts & Campsites near Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park is home to one campground that may accommodate RVs over 60 feet in length. All sites at the campground are priced at $25 per night, and the campground is open from April 1 to October 31. Reservations may be made for campsites online up to six months in advance.
Campgrounds Near Indiana Dunes National Park
Find the Best Dumpstations Near Indiana Dunes National Park
Dumpstations Near Indiana Dunes National Park
How to get to Indiana Dunes National Park
If you're RVing to Indiana Dunes National Park from Valparaiso, take Calumet Avenue to IN-49 North. Take IN-49 North for nine miles. Turn left to stay on IN-49 North, and then turn right immediately onto US-12 East. Continue 0.3 miles, and turn left to enter the park via the main gate. To reach the park from Chicago, IL, take I-90 East for approximately 30 miles. From there, take exit 17 to merge onto US-12 East. Continue for three miles, and then turn left onto US-12 East. After two more miles, turn left onto North County Line Road. Slight right, and then you will find the west entrance to the park. Nearby airports include the Michigan City Municipal Airport, Porter County Regional Airport, Gary/Chicago International Airport, and Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this park has six accessible picnic areas, and four campsites at Dunewood Campground that are accessible. The Indiana Dunes National Park Visitor Center also offers hearing assistance devices. Wheelchair loans are available at the Paul H. Douglas Center.
Pets are generally allowed at this national park so long as they are kept on a leash of 6 feet or less. However, pets are not permitted on the lifeguarded area of West Beach from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the Monday of Labor Day weekend, on Pinhook Bog Trail, or on the equestrian portion of the Glenwood Dunes Trail.
Water activities are extremely popular at this national park, including swimming, paddling, and fishing in Lake Michigan and on the Little Calumet River. In the winter, you may also enjoy sledding, skiing, and snowshoeing at the park's West Beach, Kemil Beach, Dunbar Beach, and Lake View areas.
Yes, there are over 60 campsites at Indiana Dunes National Park, most of which can accommodate RVs. While some sites can be used by RVs over 60 feet long, others may be limited to use by smaller RVs, so campers should check the restrictions of the camping spots they would like to reserve in advance.
The best times of year to visit this park are in the spring and fall when the park's weather is pleasant, but the park is not as crowded as it may be in the summer. Hiking is especially scenic in the spring when the park is dotted with wildflowers.