In August we took a weekend mini-vacation to the Indiana Dunes. We had never been there before and we were looking for an opportunity to visit a beach, do some hiking, but also relax outdoors where it is easier to socially distance. The Indiana Dunes were the perfect place. As I already stated, it was a mini, two-night vacation with one day spent at the national park and the other day spent at the state park. This post details our trip to the national park on our first full day there.
The Indiana Dunes National Park is split into multiple parts with several different beaches. A few of the beaches are closed and others are very tight for parking. The park website suggests visiting West Beach given it has large parking lots. So we went to West Beach. There was plenty of parking, even on a weekend. The water level of Lake Michigan was high, so the beach is narrow, meaning that to socially distance be prepared to walk along the shore for several minutes before finding a large enough place to sit down and be distanced from others. As long as you are willing to walk, you will find a place to sit on the beach and be safe from COVID-19. On the day we went, the water was very choppy and swimming was closed.
We also took a hike, before spending time on the beach, around the dunes. There's a very nice trail, the Dune Succession trail, that takes you up one of the dunes and back down to the beach. You get some great views such as this:
Beautiful! So if you need some time outside during COVID-19, the Indiana Dunes National Park is a great place to go! There will be a lot of people, but it is still easy to socially distance. Do not confuse the national park with the state park. I actually enjoyed the state park more than the national park, but more on that in an upcoming post.
Be sure to stop at the national park visitor's center and get your national park book stamped. Don't have a book? You're in luck, they sell them for about $10 in the visitor's center.
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