Visiting Indiana Dunes National Park with Kids

Whether you’re traveling across town or across the country, planning a trip to a national park site with kids can be tricky. The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and our partner Travelodge® by Wyndham want to help you plan your family’s best national park trip yet by sharing information about parks from someone who knows them well. NPCA consultant and leader of NPCA’s Veteran’s Council Chris Marvin has extensively explored national parks with his kids over the past two years, spending countless hours researching spectacular destinations and developing itineraries for educational and enjoyable trips. Through his travels, Chris has learned – by plenty of trial and error – some best practices to ensure his kids’ national park visits are memories they’ll cherish. And in doing so, he lays the foundation for a future love of and appreciation for parks, so they too understand the importance of preserving them.

Protecting public lands is at the heart of NPCA’s mission, as well as our partnership with Travelodge – and we hope that by helping you plan a national park visit with your kids, they’ll be inspired to protect our parks, too.

Meet Chris & His Daughters

Hi, I’m Chris. I am an Army veteran who is sharing my legacy with my 10- and 12-year-old daughters through national parks. In 2021, our family began an epic three-year plan to spend a month visiting national parks each summer – and to visit others during the rest of the year. We’ve visited national parks across the country, exploring new trails, observing wildlife and educating the girls about the importance of park protection. In this guide, I’ll be providing tips for visiting Indiana Dunes National Park with kids. Growing up in the Midwest, I frequently enjoyed camping and vacationing in Indiana Dunes when it was a national lakeshore. Now that Indiana Dunes is one of our newest national parks, I am thrilled that it’s being enjoyed by more families from across the country.

Meet the Park

Located just 35 miles outside of Chicago, Indiana Dunes National Park features more than 15,000 acres of sensitive dune lands, bird-filled marshes, oak and maple forests, and remnants of once-vast prairies. Established in 1966, the park has a location within it on the list of National Historic Landmarks – a designation that recognizes important history within the park – and is home to rare oak savannas and over 1,100 flowering plant species and ferns. It is also in the top five national parks with the most recorded bird species, with over 350 confirmed species.

Must-Visit Locations

Indiana Dunes is known for its giant sand dunes – and for those who haven’t visited, wait until you see them. As a kid, I remember being astonished that trees could grow on sand dunes, and visiting the park really taught me a lot about an area not far from where I grew up. That said, this national park has much more to offer. Be sure to stop by The Douglas Center at the west end of the park between Miller Beach and the Miller neighborhood town center. There are plenty of family-friendly trails to get you moving after a long car ride, plus ample helpful staff ready to help you make the most of your trip so you can be sure you’re exploring all of the hidden gems and special spots the park has to offer.

Great Marsh

You’ll find your way to the dunes and the lakeshore, but don’t miss the Great Marsh – you’ll find the trailhead by the Beverly Shores station. The 1.3-mile Great Marsh trail is the perfect family-friendly trail for hikers of all experience levels. You’ll find fantastic areas for viewing the park through the perspective of a different ecosystem, giving kids an opportunity to learn about all of the types of wildlife this park protects. This stroll can also be a nice reprieve from crowds on the beach.

Family Tips

• This is an easy trail accessible to anyone. There is no elevation gain, and the trail is packed dirt and gravel, but be aware, it can get muddy!
• Bring a children’s bird watching book and visit the Great Marsh in the morning, when the birds are most active. Your kids will have an opportunity to spot ducks, coots, kingfishers, great herons and egrets. Our family loves to spot as many different local animals as we can. So, being in the Great Marsh with a pair of binoculars and a birding book is all we need for an afternoon!
• Remember to keep your distance from the wildlife and never feed them. This is a great chance to introduce Leave No Trace principles to your children as they apply to animals in national parks.

West Beach Trails

A national park with skyline views? It’s not very common, but on the West Beach Trails at Indiana Dunes, there are great views of the Chicago skyline across Lake Michigan. Even though we don’t live in the area now, our family are big Chicago sports fans and we love the city, so any chance to see that iconic skyline from such a unique point of view makes us very happy!

Family Tips

• There are numerous trails to choose from with varying levels of difficulty, so be sure to do your research ahead of time to select the right adventure for your family.
• Pack a lunch and stop at one of the eight picnic areas along the trails to enjoy those skyline views. Remember to pack reusable items whenever possible to help reduce plastic waste.
• Be sure to stay on the marked trail! Use this opportunity to talk to your kids about the importance of being a responsible visitor by protecting fragile habitats.

Geocaches

Hiking up a forested sand dune is already an adventure for a kid. Why not add to the excitement by looking for hidden treasures along the way? If you haven’t tried geocaching before, Indiana Dunes is a great place to start. The idea is simple: using coordinates, participants hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches,” at specific locations – in this case, Indiana Dunes National Park. For us, geocaching started as a way to get the kids excited about hiking. Now the girls love to hike for the sake of the trails and destinations, but geocaching is still a fun opportunity – especially in a national park!

Family Tips

• Don’t worry, geocaching at Indiana Dunes is sanctioned by the National Park Service, and the agency provides a website with all you need to get started on your adventure.
• Geocaching is a great way to explore parts of the park that not all visitors see, including some with historical significance, such as Chellberg Farm, a farming homestead built in the 1800s.
• When your kids find a cache, they’ll open up the container and sign their names in the logbook to mark their accomplishment.

When I was a kid, the closest national park to my home was more than eight hours away. But Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was just a 2.5-hour drive. I take great pride knowing that I can now share this childhood haunt of mine with my kids as a national park. We hope that millions more kids from all parts of the country will visit the shores of Lake Michigan and enjoy Indiana Dunes National Park.

NPCA and Travelodge® by Wyndham hope this guide helps you plan your family’s next park site visit. Review our 10 Ways to Adventure Responsibly so your family adventure is not only an opportunity to make memories together, but also a chance to show your children how to be a responsible visitor. By learning and acting together, you’ll help ensure that these places are protected for families to enjoy for generations to come.

Follow Chris and his daughters on their park-to-park tour at www.parktoparktour.com and @parktoparktour on Instagram.