On Lake Michigan's south shore, the Indiana Dunes rise as high as 180 feet above the water. The lakeshore encompasses a modest 15,000 acres, yet it is ranked seventh among national parks in native plant diversity. Visitors can explore white- and black-oak savannas, sedge meadows, tallgrass prairies, swamps, marshes, bogs, and fens. And of course, let's not forget the 25 miles of white-sand beaches and wandering dunes such as Mount Baldy, where hang glider pilots launch themselves toward the sun, each like a modern-day Icarus.
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is divided into an East Unit and a West Unit. Some of the more popular destinations in the East Unit the Heron Rookery and and Pinhook Bog. The West Unit features the Calumet, Hobart, and Hoosier Prairies.
The lakeshore is situated 50 miles southeast of Chicago and is bordered by Michigan City, Indiana, on the east and Gary on the west. You can fly into the region via Gary Regional Airport, South Bend Airport, and Chicago's Midway and O'Hare Airports. The Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroads stop at several stations throughout the park. To get to the national lakeshore by car, take Interstate Highway I-94, the Indiana Toll Road, I-80/90 U.S. 20, or Indiana State Highway 12.
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