Indiana Dunes State Park is an Indiana state park located in Porter County, Indiana, United States, east of Chicago. The park is bounded by Lake Michigan to the northwest and is surrounded by as well as within the authorized boundaries of Indiana Dunes National Park, a unit of the National Park Service; the NPS owns the water from the ordinary high water mark to offshore. The Dunes Nature Preserve makes up the bulk of eastern part of the park, and includes most of the park's hiking trails and dune landscape. This was one of the first places Richard Lieber considered when establishing the Indiana State Park system. Like all Indiana state parks, there is a fee for entrance. Indiana Dunes State Park was established in 1925 and designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974.

Preserving the Indiana Dunes has resulted from the efforts of many citizens and politicians. In 2018–2019, Indiana Dunes was the most-visited Indiana state park, with more than 1.3 million visitors.

  • Observation platform near the top of Mt. Tom. Looking west, Chicago can be seen above the forested sand dunes. Gary, Indiana, is also visible.
  • Birdwatching: (A bird observation tower is located along Trail 10 overlooking a marsh community.)

Blowouts

Blowouts are formed by the on-shore winds of Lake Michigan. The winds move sand and pile it into dunes. As the dunes form, plants begin to take hold, stabilizing the sand. Beach grasses form a large underground system of roots. This root system creates stable areas of sand from which the dune can grow. Slowly other plants take root in the protected areas, including bearberry (kinnikinnick) and small evergreens. Over time, larger plants like sumac, sand cherry, cottonwood, and juniper take hold and replace the grasses and smaller plants.

When a nick forms in this armor of roots and plants, the area can become a blowout. First, open sand becomes accessible to the wind. This can be by animal trails or by human footpaths. A tree could fall in a strong wind, exposing the underlying sand. When this happens, the wind once again works on the loose sand. It undercuts the other roots, and begins moving sand southward. If the winds are strong enough or given enough time, a large blowout can occur, reducing the dunes to lake level over a large area. The three largest blowouts in the park are Beach House, Furnessville, and Big Blowout. Each extends into the interdunes, between the front rises of dunes and pockets, into the interdunal troughs. Big Blowout has uncovered an area of dead tree trunks known as the Tree Graveyard.

The park also has a Youth Tent Area separate from the public campground.

See also

  • List of Indiana state parks
  • Save the Dunes

References

  • Indiana Dunes State Park DNR Site
  • Dunes Nature Preserve Indiana DNR Site
  • The Prairie Club
  • Friends of the Indiana Dunes
  • Duneland.com
  • Dunes Learning Center