Dunes 101: What are the Indiana Dunes?
Two park systems make up the Indiana Dunes—the National Park and State Park. Both have unique features that will keep you exploring for days!
Do More in the Dunes
Bikes, brews, best stays, places to play, and so much more. Define your Dunes getaway for yourself with the help of our local stories.
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Visitor Center
Wildlife
Skunk Cabbage: The Smell of Spring
After a long gray Indiana winter, it’s a real joy to smell skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), one of Indiana’s native, fascinating flowers.
Visitor Center
We’re Looking For Volunteers!
The Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is looking for volunteers to help visitors learn about the Indiana Dunes and attractions, dining, and shopping in…
Eat & Drink
Midwest Living’s Culinary Tour of the Indiana Dunes
Midwest Living editors happily ate their way through the Indiana Dunes area to uncover the best restaurants in Porter County.
Events
The Dunes Daily Challenge is Back!
Have some Indiana Dunes-themed fun and enter to win prizes!
Outdoor Adventures
Snowshoeing in the Indiana Dunes National Park
Once the Indiana Dunes area is blanketed in a few inches of snow, you’ll start to see people traversing the parks’ trails on snowshoes.
Visitor Posts
A Reason to Love Winter
With its short days, grey skies, and cold temperatures, February in Indiana can be trying even for the ruggedest soul among us. Wildflowers feel…
Locals Love
Locals Love: Top 10 Date Night Restaurants
No romantic night would be complete without dinner. After you take your special someone for a stroll on the beach, grab dinner at one of these local…
Outdoor Adventures
Five of the Best Winter Sledding Spots in the Indiana Dunes
These Indiana Dunes sledding spots are perfect for kids or adults itching to grab a sled and speed down a snowy hill.
Hiking
Savannas: Beauty in the Making
One of the most beneficial things, but sometimes the hardest thing, one can do to help manage a savanna is to cut down young trees and invasive…
Wildlife
Monarchs: Crossing Those Lines
This past September upwards of 2,000 monarchs congregated on the oak trees growing atop the dunes at the Bison Viewing Area of Kankakee Sands.
Shopping
Shopping for Last-Minute Gifts in the Indiana Dunes
Still need last-minute gifts for your friends and family? Consider shopping at one of our many local boutiques and gift shops.
Doing the Dunes - Family Hikes in Indiana Dunes
By Heather Tallman
Every summer my family of four travels the Midwest in search of adventure. Last summer, while on our traditional summer weeklong trip to the Indiana Dunes area, I stumbled upon something new. Uncharted territory. A new adventure.