Indiana Dunes State Park
RV Guide

If you want to enjoy a picnic while surrounded by the tranquility of Indiana's rich prairies, forests, and wetlands, this is the perfect destination. There are several pavilions and picnic areas located in the park. One of the best spots is by the Beach House, where you can enjoy a quiet meal on the serene banks of Lake Michigan.

The Dunes State Park Nature Center is located near the campground and features environmental and cultural history displays, a wildlife observation room, a children's corner, a library, and a program room that offers several movie presentations. The center is a great way to introduce yourself to the natural history of the area, and you can learn about what sorts of flora and fauna to keep an eye out for on the trail.

Cross-country skiing trails are provided for visitors with their own equipment as there are no ski rentals available onsite. Skiing is a great way to cover lots of ground during the quiet, yet beautiful, off-season. The gently rolling terrain along the shore makes for great ski trails, and the dense forests become a winter wonderland when snow rolls through. Sometimes, moisture rolling in off of the lake freezes on the trees, turning the boughs and branches of trees into delicate crystalline sculptures. If you want to take the less-beaten path during the colder months, make sure you pack your cross-country skis in your Airstream!

Even if you visit the park during the colder months or on rainy days, there's still plenty to do. The park's nature center offers activity sheets with games and quizzes about the cultural history and native wildlife of Indiana. If you're traveling through in spring or autumn, rainy days are the best times to spot some of the park's more secretive creatures. Look carefully for tiger or blue-spotted salamanders on the forest floor, and listen for the calls of grey tree frogs near ponds.

Throughout the off-season, Indiana Dunes State Parks has regularly scheduled storytelling events, which are fun for the whole family. Listen to ghost stories and thrilling adventure tales from park rangers, all while learning about the natural and human history of the area.

Whether you’re a beginner fisherman or an avid angler, Indiana Dunes State Park presents plenty of opportunities to cast your line into the water. The particular stretch of lake that the park sits on is famous for smelt fishing, which is usually done in the spring. Yellow Perch, salmon, bass, trout, and pumpkinseed can be found either in Lake Michigan or its tributaries, which are plentiful along the coast.

Make sure you have a valid Indiana state fishing permit before you head out, and, if you're smelt fishing, make sure you apply for the special, smelt-specific permit.

Interpretive Naturalist Programs are held daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and on weekends throughout the year. Program schedules are available online and include many family and children’s activities and crafts. Guided hikes and other educational events offer a chance to learn about the unique geology, ecology and human history of the dunes and their surroundings. And, if a particular event at the state park doesn't match up with your schedule, you can also look for interpretive events at neighboring Indiana Dunes National Park.

Don’t leave your binoculars in the RV since Indiana Dunes State Park has excellent birding opportunities during both the spring and fall migrations. Famous throughout the Midwest as a birding hotspot, the dunes feature a dedicated Bird Observation Platform that gives a 360-degree view of the surrounding landscape. Birders are invited to record their sightings in the guest log at the visitor center. Over 200 species either call the dunes home or are known to travel through this area. Keep your eye out for hawks riding thermal updrafts of the dunes, look for some of the many waterfowl which flock to the lake, or listen for the delicate calls of warblers when you're walking through the woods.

Take a dip in Lake Michigan in the designated swimming area located at the Beach Pavilion, which also offers fast-food service and a gift shop. The beach is popular on summer days, offering a cool respite from the hot Midwestern sun. Experienced divers can check out the preserved shipwreck of the J.D. Marshall, which is located on the lake bed offshore beyond the swimming area.

Leave the camper behind and enjoy one of the seven hiking trails in the park, which range in difficulty from easy to rugged. Sixteen miles of trails will let you explore the park at your own pace and take you through marshlands, creeks, and forests, and over the tops of the biggest dunes in the state. Don’t miss the “living” dunes off Trail 9. These dunes are so-called because they actually move! They are slowly being blown inland, burying forests as they go.

Trail 10 is home to “tree graveyards”, previously buried forests now exposed by erosion. There is a popular Three Dune Challenge for hikers looking to test their limits. The challenge takes hikers up and down the three tallest dunes in the park. Although there's only about 500 feet of overall gain, the loose sand makes climbing very strenuous. Three Dune Challengers are rewarded for their efforts, though, with spectacular views of the lake.