The state park is a 2100-acre, shoreside pocket within the national park; it’s located at the end of Hwy 49, near Chesterton. It has more amenities than the rest of the lakeshore, but also more regulation and crowds (plus the vehicle entry fee). Wintertime brings out the cross-country skiers; summertime brings out the hikers. Seven trails zigzag over the landscape; No 8 up Mt Tom rewards with Chicago skyline views.
Indiana Dunes State Park
Indiana
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
28.56 MILES
The MSI is the largest science museum in the Western hemisphere and a place to completely geek out. Highlights include a WWII German U-boat nestled in an…
29.2 MILES
Of the numerous buildings that Frank Lloyd Wright designed around Chicago, none is more famous or influential than Robie House. Because its horizontal…
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28.34 MILES
Artist-activist Theaster Gates bought a tumbledown bank building for $1 in Chicago's neglected South Shore neighborhood, and transformed it into a…
28.45 MILES
This 550-acre, lakefront green space is a gem. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, renowned creator of New York City's Central Park, it comprises bird-rich…
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Pullman National Historical Park
28.44 MILES
Part of the National Park Service, Pullman offers a rare look at a capitalist's fallen utopia. The community's design and architecture make for a…
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DuSable Museum of African American History
29.78 MILES
This was the first independent museum in the country dedicated to African American art, history and culture. The collection features African American…
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0.47 MILES
The Dunes, which became the USA's 61st national park in 2019, stretch along 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Swimming is allowed anywhere along the…
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28.49 MILES
The enchanted Garden of the Phoenix floats in Jackson Park. Birds flit through the sunlight, turtles swim in the lagoons, and stone-cut lanterns dot the…
Nearby Indiana attractions
1. Indiana Dunes National Park
0.47 MILES
The Dunes, which became the USA's 61st national park in 2019, stretch along 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Swimming is allowed anywhere along the…
8.47 MILES
West Beach, nearest to Gary, draws fewer crowds than the other local beaches and features a number of nature hikes and trails. It’s also the only beach…
22 MILES
To the right, an oil refinery spewing fire and brimstone, to the left a beautiful lakefront park with views to Chicago – why not put the new Mascot Hall…
4. Grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Monastery
23.04 MILES
Polish monks built a series of trippy, fluorescent shrines at this Carmelite monastery hiding in suburban Munster. First came 250 tons of sponge rock that…
28.34 MILES
Artist-activist Theaster Gates bought a tumbledown bank building for $1 in Chicago's neglected South Shore neighborhood, and transformed it into a…
28.4 MILES
Runners, cyclists, swimmers, dog walkers and Hyde Park residents of all stripes rub shoulders on the Point, a 12-acre artificial peninsula that juts into…
7. Pullman National Historical Park
28.44 MILES
Part of the National Park Service, Pullman offers a rare look at a capitalist's fallen utopia. The community's design and architecture make for a…
28.45 MILES
This 550-acre, lakefront green space is a gem. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, renowned creator of New York City's Central Park, it comprises bird-rich…