Dunes, beaches & lakeshore · Indiana

Indiana Dunes day trip

Indiana Dunes

A lakeshore day from downtown Chicago: the 3 Dune Challenge over the three tallest dunes in Indiana Dunes State Park, passes and maps at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, lunch in downtown Chesterton, the 1933 World's Fair houses on Lake Front Drive in Beverly Shores, and the Dune Succession Trail at West Beach, with the Chicago skyline across the water.

Time: 9–10 hour day
Driving: About 2 hours 30 minutes of driving in total
Best time: September to mid-October
Updated: October 13, 2026 at 10:33 PM Pacific

$4 USD

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A wide, empty sand beach curving along Lake Michigan under a blue sky, with white-capped waves on the right and a wooded dune in orange and red fall color rising on the left — Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0. October 2012 photograph of the national park shore near Michigan City; resized and displayed with crop.

Suggested times, not bookings

Your day at a glance

8:00 amLeave downtown Chicago
9:00 amIndiana Dunes State Park and the 3 Dune Challenge
11:15 amIndiana Dunes Visitor Center
12:00 pmDowntown Chesterton
1:30 pmCentury of Progress homes on Lake Front Drive
3:00 pmWest Beach and the Dune Succession Trail
5:00 pmReturn to downtown Chicago

Highlights

Worth the trip

The 3 Dune Challenge: 1.5 miles and 552 vertical feet of sand
Five houses from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair on Lake Front Drive
The Dune Succession Trail and the Chicago skyline from West Beach

What’s in the guide

Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →

Plan for the conditions

Expected seasonal weather

In September and early October the Indiana lakeshore usually brings warm, sunny days that cool quickly in the late afternoon, with the lake still mild after summer. Wind off the lake can turn a calm beach rough within hours, and north winds raise waves and rip current risk. Passing fronts bring thunderstorms every few days, and the open dunes give no shelter from lightning. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast the evening before and the morning of your trip.

Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.

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