3 Dune Challenge
Need a reason to get outside? We’ve got three.
Challenge friends, family, and yourself to an epic climb up the three tallest sand dunes at Indiana Dunes State Park. It’s 1.5 miles of tough trail with 552 vertical feet that’s 100 percent brag-worthy.
Don't just face the Challenge. Conquer it!
Hiking up the three tallest sand dunes isn’t easy, but it can still be fun for all ages. Go solo or grab your friends and family to hike the 1.5-mile trail at your own pace. Just be sure to…
If your idea of fun is running up the stairs of a skyscraper or doing a marathon, try climbing 552 vertical feet of sand and stairs. The 3 Dune Challenge is Indiana’s best test of physical…
“Running on sand requires 1.6 times more energy than running on a hard surface.”
— Biologists.org
Start Here
Your adventure begins at the Indiana Dune State Park Nature Center.
How to Complete the Dare
- Go to the Indiana Dunes State Park
Visit Indiana Dunes State Park, located at the end of State Rd. 49 at 1600 N. 25 East, Chesterton, IN 46304. - Hike the Trail
With 552 vertical feet, this is the toughest trail in the State Park. Take the challenge and conquer the dunes. - Share the Challenge
Take a selfie at the top of one of the dunes and post it using #3DuneChallenge. - Get Your Badge of Honor
Visit the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center for a free bumper sticker and to buy a commemorative T-shirt or hoodie.
Celebrate Your Accomplishment
Stop by the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center to get your free 3 Dune Challenge sticker.
You can also buy a T-shirt or hoodie—you’ve earned it!
The 3 Dune Challenge
Challenge yourself, your friends, and your family to climb the three tallest sand dunes at the Indiana Dunes State Park. The 1.5-mile trail is the toughest in the park, with 552 vertical feet to climb. The reward: breathtaking views and the title of dune conqueror.
This self-guided trail starts on Trail Eight outside of the Indiana Dunes State Park Nature Center. After you conquer the challenge, buy a shirt or hoodie and pick up a free sticker from the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center at 1215 N. State Road 49, Porter, IN 46304.
Phone: (219) 926-2255
Website: http://www.indianadunes.com/3dc
This project was created in collaboration with our amazing partners.
Events in the Indiana Dunes
View All EventsConnections: New Objects on Display
- Porter County Museum (PoCo Muse)
- Recurring daily
Take a closer look. Gathered throughout the PoCo Muse are pairs of objects that speak to each other in surprising…
Connections:Â Take a Closer Look - Permanent Exhibit
- Porter County Museum (PoCo Muse)
- Recurring daily
Gathered throughout the PoCo Muse are pairs of objects that speak to each other in surprising ways. The objects may…
Duneland School Corporation Student Exhibition @ Chesterton Art Center
- Chesterton Art Center
- Recurring daily
Chesterton Art Center welcomes our Duneland students, families, and community to this annual exhibition tradition…
Exhibit Opening: New Era Guitars: Making Music in the Dunes
- Westchester Township History Museum
- Recurring daily
Born and raised in Northwest Indiana, Tony Klassen was a talented artist, furniture builder, and guitar maker. He…
Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor
- Porter County Museum (PoCo Muse)
- Recurring daily
In November 1943, members of the Charles Pratt Post #94 of the American Legion had an idea to erect a memorial on…
Meet the Animals - Sunset Hill Farm
- Sunset Hill Farm County Park
- Recurring weekly on Friday, Saturday
Come meet our farm animals and their caregivers. Our animals include sheep, goats, ducks, chickens, and bunnies…
Open Ice Skating under the Urschel Pavilion
- Recurring daily
Grab your friends, bring the kids, snag your spouse and come out to skate at the William E. Urschel Pavilion. Open…
Open Paint - Bath Bomb Painting Workshop
Come by anytime while we're open this day and paint as many bath bombs as you'd like! Cost: $10 per bath bomb. All…
Opportunity Enterprises Student Exhibition @ The Art Barn School of Art
- Art Barn School of Art. Inc.
- Recurring daily
Art Barn is thrilled to partner with Opportunity Enterprises (OE), well established in the community for providing…
Photographs from Academy of Music Block Fire
- Recurring daily
In February 1926, Valparaiso's Academy of Music Vlock at the southwest corner of Lincolnway and Washington Street…
The Path That Ventures Within: Inspirations Found Along Indiana Dunes Trails
- Porter County Museum (PoCo Muse)
- Recurring daily
Taken along the crisscrossing trails of the Indiana Dunes, the color photographs of Herb Barghusen (1933-2015)…
Tour the American Factory @ Journeyman Distillery
- Recurring daily
Visit the new distillery, brewery, and production floor to learn the process of our grain-to-glass spirits, and the…
Valparaiso Fire History Activity
- Recurring daily
A self-guided fire history tour around the Courthouse Square.
Westchester Township History Museum - Permanent Exhibit
- Westchester Township History Museum
- Recurring daily
The permanent exhibit highlights local history from prehistoric times to today. Temporary exhibits celebrate…
Chellberg Farm Open House
- Recurring weekly on Saturday
Stop by the historic Chellberg Farm to tour the farmhouse and visit the animals. Rangers and volunteers will be on…
Another Amazing Trail at the Indiana Dunes
Looking for another challenge? We dare you to take on the Diana Dunes Dare in the Indiana Dunes National Park. In honor of the daring and free spirit of Alice Mabel Gray, also known as Diana, a nearby sandhill has been named “Diana’s Dune.” You can now hike in Alice’s footsteps and explore the natural wonders of her beloved Dunes terrain.