Looking for the best Indiana Dunes National Park one day itinerary?
Indiana Dunes National Park is situated along the Lake Michigan coastline.
It consists of lakefront activities, as well as hiking trails and bird watching.
We recently spent one day exploring the park as part of a larger itinerary visiting Chicago and South Bend.
Indiana Dunes National Park One Day Itinerary
Indiana Dunes has a great mix of enjoying the lakeshore, exploring sand dunes, going on hiking trails, and seeing some historic sites.
It sounds like a lot, but it’s so easy to see all the highlights in just one day.
Short On Time? Here’s The Highlights:
1. Visitor Center
2. Dune Ridge Trail (0.7 mile loop)
3. Beverly Shores Beach
4. Century of Progress Homes
5. Bailly Homestead (1 mile loop)
6. Portage Lakefront & Boardwalk
Visitor Center
We tend to start our visits at the visitor center so that we can get a souvenir ornament for our collection.
This place unfortunately didn’t sell any, but we were at least able to get a park map before heading out for the day.
Dune Ridge Trail
This is a short trail that is only 0.7 miles.
It’s a combination of sand and dirt paths since you’re hiking through sand dunes.
There are definitely some inclines that can get you a bit winded, but the trail only takes about 30-45 minutes.
I liked that it was dunes and woods at the same time.
Beverly Shores Beach
Just up the street from the Dune Ridge Trail is the beach.
What’s different about going to the beach at a lake instead of the ocean is that the water is much calmer.
There’s little ripples instead of waves.
From some of these beaches in the park you can see Chicago on a clear day.
Century of Progress Homes
Along the area right next to the beach is a street filled with “Century of Progress” homes.
These were made for the 1933 Chicago World Fair to showcase new designs, materials, and technology that would be used for homes in the future.
This was my favorite part of the park.
These are all private residences now, so you have to stay on the sidewalk to view them.
How cool would it be to own one of these and live here on the beach?
This pink house was my favorite of all of them and it looks like any beach house you’d see around Miami today.
Bailly Homestead
About 15 minutes away is the old Bailly Homestead.
There is a short walking trail that brings you to this farm house that was recently restored.
The trail has a nice mix of woods and open fields and is only about a 1 mile loop.
Portage Lakefront & Riverwalk
Now it’s time for the next beach!
This one has a lot more going on, but has a better view of Chicago.
It’s only about a 10-15 minute drive from the Bailly Homestead.
There are public restrooms and a seasonal snack bar that is open in the Summer.
This is where we ended our day in the park before venturing off for lunch.
But if you want to spend even more time here, I recommend the Paul H Douglas Trail and the West Beach area.
The Paul H Douglas Trail is a 1 mile loop trail with wetlands, dunes, and beach terrains.
It’s about 15 minutes west of the Portage Lakefront & Boardwalk area.
Each step of this itinerary by the way just keeps moving from east to west across the park, so there’s no back-tracking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a couple of the most commonly asked questions I’ve seen about visiting Indiana Dunes National Park.
What is the difference between Indiana Dunes National Park and State Park?
The area is the same, it’s just that parts of it are under the jurisdiction of the state parks department and other parks are under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
Redwood National Park out in California is the same way where it’s also Redwood State Park.
When is the best time to visit Indiana Dunes?
Late Spring, Summer, and early Fall are best weather wise because it’s generally warm enough to enjoy the beach.
But you can also visit in the Winter and see some ice on the lakes, but it wouldn’t be enjoyable to go hiking then.
Where To Stay
When we visited, we were actually staying at a resort over in South Bend, which I highly recommend.
But if you want to stay closer to the park, we have a recommendation for that too.
Near Indiana Dunes: Hilton Garden Inn Chesterton
Hilton Garden Inn in Chesterton is just 5 miles from the visitor center at Indiana Dunes National Park.
We love to stay at these hotels when we go on road trips because we always know exactly what we’re going to get.
Click Here To Book Your Hilton Garden Inn Chesterton Stay Today!
Varsity Clubs of America South Bend
While it’s not the closest place to stay, this is where we stayed when we took our trip to Indiana Dunes National Park.
We had timeshare points to use up before the end of the year and this is the closest resort in our timeshare portfolio.
It’s conveniently located if you’re visiting Notre Dame or even if you want to take a day trip over to Chicago.
This resort is about an hour from Indiana Dunes National Park.
Click Here To Book Your Varsity Clubs of America South Bend Stay Today!
Where To Eat
There are a few restaurants in downtown Gary, Indiana, just down the road from the Portage Lakefront & Riverwalk area.
We enjoyed a quick lunch at Miller Pizza Co., which is a counter service restaurant.
We shared a couple slices of their Chicago deep dish pizza and their Philly Cheesesteak.
If you’re visiting longer and need more meals or just want to try something different, I recommend looking at TripAdvisor for top recommendations.
Then Google “best restaurants near me” or “best restaurants near Indiana Dunes National Park” and see which places come up multiple times.
Those are likely your best bets!
Try to find locally owned restaurants or regional chains that you can’t get at home.
More One Day National Park Itineraries
Here are some other national parks we’ve visited for just one day.
Arizona
California
Florida
Hawai’i
Idaho/Montana/Wyoming
Missouri
Nevada
New Mexico/Texas
South Dakota
Utah
West Virginia
Conclusion: Indiana Dunes National Park One Day Itinerary
Indiana Dunes National Park is a great park to visit if you have just one day in the area.
There’s a nice variety of woods, dunes, beaches, and historical sites.
Everything we recommend is family friendly and do-able for most able-bodied people.
This is also a great park that you can continue to re-visit and enjoy beach days all throughout the summer.
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