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Indiana Dunes National Park is one of the newest National Parks and the perfect spot to visit if you are looking to blend outdoor adventures with all the luxury of city dining. Indiana Dunes National Park is located only about an hour away from Chicago, but the smaller surrounding Indiana towns offer a great selection of things to do without the big city crowds. You’re going to love exploring Indiana Dunes, and the entire North West Indiana Region.
Get Outside and Explore
You’re interested in visiting the National Parks, so odds are, you’re looking to get outside. Indiana Dunes will not disappoint. Check out these great outdoor adventures near Indiana Dunes National Park.
Take on the 3 Dune Challenge
If you love a good challenge, especially one that ends with a prize, the 3 Dune Challenge is for you! These three hikeable dunes offer a bit of a challenge to beginners, with their steep grade and rough terrain (read: you’ll slide backwards on the sand almost as much as you’ll move forward.) But each time you hit a peak, you’ll be greeted by a sign marking your accomplishment and a beautiful view to boot. Plus gliding down each of the dunes makes you feel like you’re walking on air.
For more information on the 3 Dune Challenge, check out my post Everything You Need to Know About Completing the 3 Dune Challenge.
Hike the West Beach Trail
Another great hike inside Indiana Dunes National Park is the West Beach Trail. If you take the trail in a counter clockwise direction, you’ll start with climbing stairs, lots and lots of stairs. These stairs are in place to protect the ecosystem within the Dunes. This hike offers some amazing views of the dunes, Lake Michigan, and on a clear day, a tiny peak at the Chicago skyline.
Visit an Active Dune
The Dunes are alive! But seriously, the Dunes move a tiny bit every year. Mount Baldy is one of the most active dunes in Indiana Dunes National Park, but not active like a volcano, it’s just crawling inland. Because of this, the hike to the top of Mount Baldy is closed for the safety of visitors, but the hike around Mount Baldy, especially the walk on the shore of Lake Michigan near Mount Baldy is well worth the trip. When you arrive in the parking lot at the trail head, you might be a little bit alarmed to see the dune is right there, like a big wall of sand piled up high at the edge of the lot. The Dune has swallowed up trees that stand in its path, and this spot offers a unique look at exactly what happens when the dunes move.
Go Camping!
The North West Indiana region has all the accommodations of a major city, but the campsite at Indiana Dunes National Park is great. The lots are huge, the trees canopy over each site to offer shade and privacy, the bathrooms are clean, you couldn’t ask for a better camping experience than what is offered at Indiana Dunes.
If you’re new to camping, you’re going to want to read my post Tent Camping for Beginners before pitching your tent at Indiana Dunes.
Eat your way through Valparaiso and Beyond
Valparaiso, or Valpo as the locals call it, is a college town, which means the selection of contemporary restaurants is top-notch. There are so many great places to eat near Indiana Dunes, but these are a great place to start.
Grab a Pizza at The Rolling Stonebaker
The Rolling Stonebaker creates delicious stone fired pizza that will not disappoint. Do not skip the garlic bites while you’re here. You won’t regret it. While you can get the classic pizza toppings here, you can also opt for the more eccentric pizza toppings like pickles, bacon marmalade, or roasted potatoes.
Indulge in Dessert from Designer Desserts
The images of these cupcakes alone will have you hooked, but just wait until you taste them. A lot of words can be used to describe the cupcakes at Designer Desserts: lavish, delectable, indulgent, but they are also incredibly creative, tiny pieces of edible art. Every week they feature a few themed cupcakes, and during our visit, they had a Harry Potter Theme going. Muggles rejoice.
Where to Get your Coffee Fix Near Indiana Dunes
Like all good destinations, there is no shortage of delicious coffee near Indiana Dunes. Two of my favorite stops were Fluid Coffee Roasters (Multiple Locations – including Valpo) and Dagger Mountain Roastery (Valparaiso.)
Relax on the Beach
Indiana Dunes is a quick summer getaway destination for a lot of people in Chicago, and others in the surrounding area. If you take vacations just to relax, you’re going to find lots of great spots to plant your lawn chair and listen to the sounds of the waves from the lake. If you’re visiting in the summer time, especially over a holiday weekend, you’re going to want to arrive early, both to get a parking spot and also to secure a prime piece of beach real estate.
Drive To Michigan (in under 30 Minutes)
It is hard for us to be so close to another state and not go there, just to say we did it. While searching for things to do near Indiana Dunes, we realized we were a very short drive away from Michigan, and drove across state lines for lunch. If you’re looking to cross a new state off your list, take a drive to Michigan while you’re visiting Indiana Dunes.
Grab Lunch at The Stray Dog
The food at The Stray Dog is delicious, they have a beautiful space full of dog photos, and ample rooftop patio seating. But that isn’t why you should visit The Stray Dog. Even better than their beautiful space and delicious food, The Stray Dog has a beautiful mission: to help dogs in need. Their messaging encourages adopting your next furry friend, and every year they host a fundraiser that raises money for local animal rescues. And yes, the food is delicious!
Explore Even More Beautiful Beaches in New Buffalo, Michigan
The beaches at Indiana Dunes were beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but the Beaches in New Buffalo, Michigan were breathtaking. The tall prairie grasses, bright blue water, and crisp white sand made this spot a spectacular place for a bit more beach exploring and offered some of the best views of the region.
Get your Passport Stamped!
Do you have a National Park Passport? If not, you need one! These easy-to-transport souvenirs are perfect for everyone who has the goal of one day seeing all 60+ National Parks or the more than 400 Monuments, Riverways, and Historic Sites that make up the National Park System. You can grab your passport stamp at the Visitor’s Center. No idea what I’m talking about? I have an entire post dedicated to the National Park Passports and my love for them. You can find all the information you need about them by reading my post National Park Passport Program: Why National Park Visitors Love it!
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