Indiana Dunes National Park — Visitor Info

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Indiana Dunes National Park stretches along 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, mixing sandy beaches and towering dunes with prairie, wetlands, and forest. It's an easy day trip from Chicago, but note it sits right next to (and is entirely separate from) Indiana Dunes State Park.

Page content last verified: July 2026

Before you go: Indiana Dunes National Park (federal) and Indiana Dunes State Park (Indiana state-run) are separate parks right next to each other with separate fees and passes — neither one's pass works at the other. Confirm which park you're headed to before you arrive. Check the official Alerts & Conditions page for current closures.
Quick Facts
Location
Northwest Indiana, along Lake Michigan
Entrance Fee
$25/vehicle, $20/motorcycle, $15/person (7 days)
Reservation Needed to Enter?
No
Permit Needed For
Group picnic shelters (reservable in advance)
Lodging
Dunewood Campground
Managed By
National Park Service

Visitor Centers

Indiana Dunes Visitor Center (Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center)
1215 N. State Road 49, Porter, IN — the main visitor center; passes and information for the whole park. No fee to enter the visitor center itself.
Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education
Near Miller Woods — exhibits focused on the park's ecology; no fee to enter.

Confirm current hours on the official NPS hours page.

Entrance Fees & Passes

The entrance fee is $25 per vehicle (7 days) or $20 per motorcycle; visitors on foot or bike pay $15 per person (16 and older). An Indiana Dunes National Park Annual Pass ($45) covers unlimited entry for a year but only at this park, not the neighboring state park. Simply driving, biking, or paddling through the park does not require a fee — it applies once you stop to use a trail, beach, or picnic shelter. Fees can be paid at the Visitor Center, seasonally at the West Beach kiosk, or online at Recreation.gov.

Every Kid Outdoors — Free 4th Grade Pass

4th graders (and their families) can visit free with an Every Kid Outdoors pass, available at everykidoutdoors.gov.

Permits & Reservations

General day use — beaches, trails, overlooks — doesn't require a permit.

Picnic Shelters

Most picnic shelters are first-come, first-served, but the covered, wheelchair-accessible shelters at West Beach (8 shelters) and Bailly/Chellberg (3 shelters) can be reserved on Recreation.gov up to six months in advance for day use.

Campgrounds & RV Options

Dunewood Campground
67 sites near Beverly Shores. Sites 1–54 are conventional drive-in sites for RVs and/or tents (RV length limited on some sites); sites 55–67 are tent-only. No individual electric or water hookups, but potable water and an RV dump station are on site. Open April 1–November 1. Reserve via Recreation.gov up to 6 months ahead (booking for the following season opens November 15).

Stays are limited to 14 days in a 30-day period; quiet hours are 10pm–6am. See the official campgrounds page for group and walk-in site details.

Good to Know

  • Two "Indiana Dunes" parks exist side by side — double-check you're headed to the national park, not the state park, since passes and fees don't cross over.
  • It's an easy Chicago-area day trip — the South Shore Line train connects Chicago to stops near several park beaches.
  • Beaches can get crowded on summer weekends — arrive early for parking, especially at West Beach.
  • Delivery and pass-through traffic doesn't need a fee — only stopping to use park facilities triggers the entrance charge.

More National Parks

See our other National Park visitor guides, or browse the full National Parks guide.

Fees and regulations change from year to year. This page is a starting point for trip planning — always confirm current details on the official Indiana Dunes National Park site before you go.

Sources: NPS – Fees & Passes · NPS – Campgrounds · NPS – Alerts & Conditions