Visiting Indiana Dunes National Park

Planning a trip to Indiana Dunes National Park and need some help planning your trip?

Here is the National Park Obsessed guide for visiting Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana.

The Quick Guide to Visiting Indiana Dunes National Park

Indiana Dunes National Park Basics

Region: Midwest / Great Lakes

Park Size: 15,067 acres (23.54 sq miles) (60.97 sq km)

Location: Porter, Lake, and LaPorte counties

Closest Cities: Beverly Shores and Porter, Indiana

Busy Season: May to October

Visitation: 2,134,285 (in 2019)

How much does Indiana Dunes National Park Cost?

Indiana Dunes National Park is free to enter with the exception of West Beach. The West Beach fee is:

• 1-day Passenger Vehicle Pass – $6
• 1-day Motorcycle Pass – $6

The American the Beautiful Pass provides a 50% discount on the West Beach fee. This $80 pass offers free admission to all 116 fee-charging National Park Units.

When is Indiana Dunes National Park Open?

Indiana Dunes National Park is open year-round.

Are dogs allowed in Indiana Dunes National Park?

Yes, pets are welcome in Indiana Dunes National Park and allowed on the beaches. Pets are not allowed on the Pinhook Bog Trail but are allowed on the Pinhook Upland Trail. Please review the Indiana Dunes Pet Policy before bringing your dog to Indiana Dunes.

Where are Indiana Dunes National Park’s visitor centers?

Indiana Dunes Visitor Center – Open Year Around

Land Acknowledgments for Indiana Dunes National Park

The National Park known as Indiana Dunes National Park sits on Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Peoria, Bodéwadmiakiwen (Potawatomi), Myaamia, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ land.

Thank you to the Native Land Digital for making the Indigenous territories accessible to all. They have mapped the known territories to the best of the current knowledge and is a work in progress. If you have additional information on the Indigenous nations boundaries, please let them know.

Native Land Digital is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization with the goal to creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together.

Where to stamp your National Parks Passport Book in Indiana Dunes National Park?

The National Park Passport Book is the BEST and cheapest National Park souvenir. Every National Park Obsessed person should have one of these books.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT stamp your government-issued passport.

There are eleven official stamps for Indiana Dunes National Park. Here is the list of National Park Passport Stamps you can get in Indiana Dunes National Park:

• Bailly Homestead
• Century of Progress
• Chellberg Farm
• Cowles Bog
• Great Marsh
• Miller Woods
• Mount Baldy
• Paul Douglas Trail
• Pin Hook Bog
• Porter, IN
• West Beach

Bonus Stamps

• 1966 Indiana Dunes 2016
• Douglas Center
• Junior Ranger (National Lakeshore)
• Junior Ranger (National Park)

Indiana Dunes National Park Passport Stamp Locations

Here are all the locations to find the Indiana Dunes National Park Passport Stamps. Not every stamp is available at every location.

• Bailly-Chellberg Contact Station
• Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education
• Portage Lakefront & Riverwalk
• Visitor Center
• West Beach Bathhouse Gift Shop

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