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.
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 EventsA Christmas Story
- Chicago Street Theatre
- Recurring weekly on Sunday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Humorist Jean Shepherd's memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940s follows 9-year old Ralphie Parker in his…
Beach Glass Wire-Wrapping Workshops
Learn the art of wire-wrapping and make your own beach glass jewelry during this workshop. This is a great way to…
Bozak Family Christmas Light Show
- Recurring daily
The Bozak Family again Hosts a FREE Christmas Light Show with a special visit from SANTA! The light show runs…
Duneland Festival of Trees
- Thomas Centennial Park & Chesterton Bandstand
- Recurring daily
The Festival of Trees gives businesses, organizations, and families the opportunity to share the celebration of the…
Ever Yours: Postcards From the Golden Age
- Porter County Museum (PoCo Muse)
- Recurring daily
The Ever Yours: Postcards from the Golden Age is currently on display in the Montague/Urschel Gallery of the PoCo…
Holiday Gift Gallery @ The Art Barn School of Art
- Art Barn School of Art. Inc.
- Recurring daily
This curated exhibit features small works including drawings, prints, paintings, mixed media, and photography as…
Meet Santa @ Running Vines Winery
Join us from noon to 2:00 p.m. and get yourself a picture with, the man, the myth, the legend...SANTA CLAUS. Reserve…
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…
Portage Live! Presents A Suessified Christmas Carol
- Woodland Park
- Recurring daily
A whimsical reinvention of Dickens’ most beloved Christmas story in wacky rhymed couplets. With zoot fruited juices…
Sharing Their Passion: The Gifts of Josephine and Byron Ferguson
- Valparaiso University Brauer Museum of Art
- Recurring daily
Inspired by an Art History class, Josephine was driven to share her love of art, first with her husband, Byron, and…
Shipshewana on the Road Gift, Food and Craft Show
- Porter County Expo Center
- Recurring daily
Gift, food, & craft show is a weekend of fun where you'll find anything and everything under the sun! Looking…
Surrealist Prints by Joan Miro
- Valparaiso University Brauer Museum of Art
- Recurring daily
Joan Miró was a Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona. A museum dedicated to his work, the…
The Nutcracker, presented by Indiana Ballet Theatre
- Recurring daily
It’s everyone’s favorite holiday tradition – The Nutcracker. Kick off the holidays with Indiana Ballet Theatre…
Warming Up to Winter @ Indiana Dunes National Park
- Bailly Homestead and Chellberg Farm
- Recurring weekly on Sunday
Try out snowshoeing and wander through a winter wonderland at Chellberg Farm. Stop by the farmhouse to warm up and…
White Christmas
- Memorial Opera House
- Recurring weekly on Sunday, Friday, Saturday
Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind…
Another Amazing Trail at the Indiana Dunes.
Diana of the Dunes Dare
In honor of the daring and free spirit of Alice Mabel Gray, also know as Diana, a nearby sand hill has been named “Diana’s Dune.” You can now hike in Alice’s footsteps and explore the natural wonders of her beloved Dunes terrain.