Most Exciting thing TO DO on Tour to Indiana Dunes National Park
If you are looking for a true sight of nature near Chicago, you must visit Indiana dunes national park. Indiana Dunes national park is a 15,000-acre area in northern Indiana along the shore of Lake Michigan. Being USA’s 61st National park now, It is one of the top national park service areas across the country. Previously it was known with the name of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
For those of you, who love beaches, Indiana dunes national park runs nearly 25 miles along Lake Michigan. If you get there, the sight will make you fall in love with it. The natural sight, flora, and fauna of the National park make us wonder about the beauty of mother nature again. A trip to Indiana Dunes will really fresh you up. A nice and natural environment with exciting activities to do like Hiking, sleds on dunes, calm feel of nature, swimming experience, and quality local food restaurant, it is a perfect go-to space.
Wondering How you can get to Indiana Dunes National Park?
The distance you need to travel to get there, between Chicago and Indiana Dunes National Park is about 32 miles. Park visitors to Indiana Dunes National Park will enter Indiana Dunes via Interstate 94, Indiana Toll Road, U.S. The Indiana State Route 49 and other main roads are Highways 12 and 20. The Visitor Center of Indiana Dunes is on Indiana State Road 49. Take exit 31 north from Indiana Toll Road (Interstate 80/90).
Timings to Visit Indiana Dunes National Park:
The national park is open from 7 am to 11 pm each day and the entry price for both state and non-state vehicles amounts to $7. Yearly passes are issued. The entrance is free of charge from November to mid-April during the weekdays.
Things to do When You Visit Indiana Dunes, National Park
Here are 6 things you must do when you visit Indiana Dunes National Park to make the trip a memorable moment of your life. In the end, it’s all about memories that you make and excitement that you can live.
Always Plan Your Visit in Advance
Before you leave for the adventurous tour, it’s important to have everything lined up in advance. List down the most important activities and aspects for your trip to Indiana Dunes National park.
- Have the basic information on operating times
- Calculate the costs and make sure to note it
- Select the activities you are going to do in advance so that you don’t waste a bit.
List down popular locations near National Park that you want to visit
Now, let’s move to the beautiful and exciting experience that you can have on the Indiana Dunes National Park tour.
Feel the Nature, Experience Fauna and Flora
This is one of the most biodiverse regions in the United States with over one thousand native plant species and 370 bird species.
Tree swallows, fried blackbirds, royal fishers, blacks, egrets, and white herons are great sites in the Great Marsh Trail and the Heron Rookery.
The 4.7 mile Cowles Bog Trail in warmer months is such an outstanding plant variety that the area was proclaimed to be a National Natural Monument. The Tolleston Dunes Trail, another decent route, leads to prickly pear cactus Country 2.9 miles from oak savanna and wetlands.
Swimming in Lake
Many estimated visitors to the park are arriving to swim and to enjoy the water. The beaches of Lake View, Kemil, Dunbar, and Porter all are risky to jump in the first place (take your own chances) and Have very small parking lots which is why they are mostly occupied in summer easily. West Beach has showers and lifeguards (the only lot which charges $6 per car). Imagine you are scoping the beautiful sights of the Portage Lakefront & Riverwalk, with vital facilities and water access every day on the beach.
The 35-mile Lake Michigan River Walk is also accessible for paddlers. Bring your own kayak, hug the edge of the water, and camp around the lake at designated locations. Find the Little Calumet River for deeper immersion in nature.
Feel the adrenaline rush at Dunes
If you are a selfie freak or a nature lover, This is the perfect opportunity to take a decent shot of the dunes. Plan to spend a total of two or three hours in the dunes, because before that you won’t even think of leaving the dunes and moving to other activities.
Then you can rent wooden sleds from the store or from the sports goods store in Alamosa is strongly recommended.
The edges of the boards are waxed. The sleds go very easy on the dunes for a pleasant time. The air is cool, to walk too but the sun heats up the sand. You would certainly want to wear shoes.
Hiking at Indiana Dunes National Park
Explore far more than sand dunes as you are hiking across 14 different adventurous trail systems that cover more than 50 miles of trails.
The diverse landscapes and environmental heritage of Indiana Dunes National park are covered by a large range of walking trails. Luckily, the choice isn’t that tough to make because you have a lot of options to go for depending upon one’s own preference. Thanks to the different lengths and difficulty levels the trail is easy to choose. From a fast, quick walk to a daunting day-long hike, most trails are available all year round and every season is varying.
Visit George’s Gyros Spot, Near National Park
Do visit George’s Gyros Spot restaurant, which is located in Chesterton, Indiana. You’ll be served with most delicious Chicago dogs, Italian beef, gyros, polish dogs, and cheeseburgers, you ever had. You will be delighted by the food quality and amazed by the affordable price range they offer the food in.
With the first branch Opened in 1998, George’s Gyros Spot restaurant is very popular among the local community population. A good reputation is everything to decide, George’s Gyros Spot has a 5 Star rating by 250 customer reviews.
George’s Gyros Spot has a drive-thru for visitors who are in a hurry to get to the lake. Just make the call in and pick up your meal at the drive-thru. Or you can also dine-in!