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Today is all about Indiana Dunes National Park. Maybe you’re planning a trip already or just putting your bucket list together and want to know if Indiana Dunes is worth visiting.
Now, I like to be real here. I don’t care for Indiana Dunes that much. I actually think it’s last on my current park ranking.
But that doesn’t mean it’s bad or not worth seeing. It absolutely has it’s perks.
And today I’m going to share some of the reasons Indiana Dunes is worth seeing. 
I will say, I wouldn’t go way out of my way to visit Indiana Dunes. I wouldn’t drive hours just for this. I would make a trip out just for this. 
But it is worth visiting as part of a Midwest national park road trip, or any Midwest road trip.
A quick note on the dunes themselves
Before we visited Indiana Dunes I was expecting the dunes to be similar to Great Sand Dunes National Park, but smaller.
Based in the word dunes, it makes sense. But now I know not all sand dunes are the same. 
The Indiana dunes are much more similar to dunes along beaches in Florida, which are usually grass covered, like you can see in these pictures.
The dunes are beautiful but they’re not the kind of dunes you can go sand boarding or sledding on. Most of them you can’t even walk on because of the fragile plant life.
So if you want that kind of dune, the massive climbing and sand boarding kind, this isn’t it and you may be disappointed.
If that doesn’t matter to you, lets get into all the reasons Indiana Dunes National Park is worth visiting.
National Park Goodies
- If you’re planning to visit three or more national parks within a year from your trip, definitely get the America the Beautiful pass. It will save you money in the long run if you’re going to more than three parks in a year. Buy the pass here.
- If you’re planning on doing a lot of hiking on your trip, or even at home, check out AllTrails! This is my favorite app to find, keep track of, and track my hiking activity. And it’s FREE! Sign up here.
- This Ultimate National Park Planning Bundle is a must-have. You get two ebooks and a planner, saving 50% by getting them as a bundle! If you want all the details, this is the bundle for you. Buy the Ultimate bundle here.
- Doing a road trip? Want an adventure? Consider an Escape Campervan Rental! It’s a great way to see the parks and is perfect for couples and small (but close) friend groups. Book a campervan here!
- This National Park Planner (one of the ebooks from the bundle above) is perfect if you just want some guidance in your planning. Buy the planner here.
- Get yourself a National Park journal for all of the NPS sites (400+!) to keep track of your travels!
- Consider reading some of these books set in national parks before your big trip, on your adventure, or once you get home to take you back to the parks until next time.
Century of Progress Homes
Five beautiful homes were built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair then later brought to the shore of Lake Michigan by barge. One of the home (the cabin) was rebuilt here.
You can admire the houses from the outside year-round but the only time you can tour them is the last weekend of September.
Tickets go on sale in early August and sell out within the hour, so if you want to do this, be ready to get tickets as soon as they’re available.
On the tour you get to see the first floors of four of the houses, the Florida Tropical, Rostone, Armco-Ferro and Cypress houses.
I think this is a particularly cool reason to visit Indiana Dunes because the houses are so unique. And they’re an even better reason if you manage to snag a tour ticket!
It’s Indiana’s only national park
Well, it’s Indiana’s only “big” national park. This just depends on how you personally count national parks.
There are two other national park sites in Indiana that you can also visit though! Although the other two are literally at the opposite end of the state.
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park and the Lincoln Boyhood Home National Memorial are the other two sites. The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail also runs through Indiana, in addition to 15 other states.
It’s almost like going to the ocean
For real. If you showed me the above and below pictures, I would guess that they’re from Florida. Not Lake Michigan.
When we went it was October and absolutely freezing thanks to the wind, but in the summer it would be so nice!
The water will probably be a bit chilly though, probably in the 60-70 degree range. Too cold for me!
So while the ocean isn’t really anywhere close to Indiana Dunes, the park will certainly feel a bit like you’re there.
The beach is beautiful
While this may not be the best beach ever, for being on a lake in the Midwest, it’s pretty amazing, if a bit industrial.
The beach isn’t super wide, but there is a lot of it and it is beautiful. We just saw a tiny section of it, but there are 15 miles of beaches to enjoy!
If you’re visiting in the summer, be sure to get there early as the beaches are popular and park can (and likely will) fill by mid-morning.
You can visit the state park, too
Indiana Dunes State Park is actually bordered by Indiana Dunes National Park to both the east and west!
We didn’t visit the state park but thanks to it’s extremely close proximity to the national park, it would be very easy to visit if you have the time.
It’s a great place to do a bit more hiking and enjoy even more of the Lake Michigan beaches.
It’s easy to visit with limited time
If you’re just passing through but still want to see the park, Indiana Dunes is perfect for short visits.
We probably could have spent more time here but the cold weather wasn’t very pleasant so we really only spent a few hours at the park.
You’ll be able to do a short hike, see the World’s Fair homes, stop at the visitor center, and enjoy the beach.
And is perfect to see on a Midwest road trip
Whether you’re doing a Midwest national park road trip or just a classic Midwest road trip, this is a great stop.
It’s not too far from Chicago, it can be seen on the way to Michigan (like to visit Holland), and can be enjoyed in a few hours or a whole day.
I mean, how could you not stop at Indiana’s only national park? 
Other posts you may like
Two Hours At Indiana Dunes National Park
Best Things To Do In Cuyahoga Valley National Park That Aren’t Hiking
One Day In Cuyahoga Valley National Park In Fall
The Ledges Trail In Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Blue Hen Falls Trail In Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Travel Services I Recommend:
AllTrails – This is my favorite hike tracking app.
America the Beautiful – The national park pass is essential.
Booking.com – This is great for finding and booking hotels.
Get Your Guide – I recommend Get Your Guide for booking tours.
National Park Obsessed – This is the best national park planner.
Skyscanner – Skyscanner is great for finding and booking flights.
Enterprise – This is my rental car recommendation.
See all my resources here.
Have you been to Indiana Dunes National Park? What about the state park? Do you think Indiana Dunes is worth visiting?
Planning my Midwest road trip and came across this article about Indiana Dunes National Park! I appreciate the honesty about it not being a top favorite, but hey, every park has its charm, right? Those World’s Fair homes sound fascinating, especially the cabin rebuilt on the shore of Lake Michigan. I’m tempted to try and snag a tour ticket for the unique experience! And the beach vibes in the Midwest? Who would’ve thought! Excited to check out the 15 miles of beaches and maybe brave the chilly water. Thanks for the tips on timing for the beaches – early it is! Definitely adding Indiana Dunes to my must-see list for the road trip. Any other hidden gems in the Midwest I should know about?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! I hope you get those tickets and enjoy the park more than I did haha. But you’re right, even if it’s not number one (they can’t all be!), it still has it’s positives.
I may be a bit biased since it’s my hometown, but Eau Claire, Wisconsin is fabulous.
I would also say Dr. Evermors Sculpture Park is a fun hidden gem, as is Franconia Sculpture Park! I have posts about all of them that can be found here.
https://redaroundtheworld.com/category/wisconsin/
https://redaroundtheworld.com/2020/06/17/franconia-sculpture-park-visit-this-awesome-park-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-minnesota/
I’ve been here many times (back before it was a national park) when we were in college nearby! A few personal notes from a former “local”:
1) It’s REALLY cool to visit the Dunes in the winter when the ice shelves form on the lake but DO NOT walk on them. They are extremely fragile and DANGEROUS. You can easily end up falling in the cold lake and drowning–seriously. It can also be REALLY cold then with the wind coming off the lake so dress accordingly.
2) We’ve gone swimming here in the summer but heed any warning signs about bacteria in the water. We didn’t once, in college, and literally every piercing I had got infected after that swim. 😛 –Bacteria can float over from the mills in Gary and Chicagoland–again, yes, really.
3) On clear days you can see the Chicago skyline from the Dunes which is pretty cool. They’re also a good place for sunset!
4) If you want REALLY good dunes go to Warren Dunes in Michigan–those are much more like the Great Sand Dunes. They’re about 30 miles to the northeast and you can get there off I-94.
Ahh! This is all SO HELPFUL! Thank you! I had no idea the Warren Dunes existed but we’ll have to check them out next time we’re in the area!
When I was a kid growing up in northern Indiana we always went to Warren rather than the Indiana Dunes.
That’s awesome, it looks beautiful in pictures!