• Heron Rookery Trail Auxiliary (West) Lot - The Heron Rookery Trail offers a serene and easy 3.3-mile walk through a bird sanctuary. A rookery is a group of nests located high in the trees.

Although the Great Blue Herons have relocated, many other birds can still be spotted, such as:

Kingfishers
Warblers
Red-headed Woodpeckers
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and more.
In spring, you might see ephemeral flowers like the Harbinger of Spring, with small white petals and dark purple stamens.

Or Yellow Trout Lilies, whose flowers resemble banana peels.

• Mt. Baldy - Mount Baldy stands as tall as a 12-story building! Even more fascinating is that Mount Baldy is a wandering dune.

This means it can shift up to ten feet annually. Grass once stabilized the dune, but tourist activity destroyed it.

Now, the wind moves the sand, causing the dune to shift. Mount Baldy is even encroaching on its own parking lot!

Reaching the beach involves a half-mile roundtrip hike around the dune, including stairs.

• Central Beach - Central Avenue Beach offers seasonal restrooms and potable water.
  There are two picnic tables at the west end of the parking lot, accessible via stairs.

The National Park strongly advises visitors to stay on the beach and avoid climbing the dune slopes behind it.

The restrooms are wheelchair accessible, but the beach and picnic tables are not.

There are no lifeguards, so swimming is at your own risk; rip currents and waves can be dangerous.

In spring and summer, watch Bank Swallows as they come and go from their nests in the dunes.

• Great Marsh Trail - The Great Marsh Trail is a pleasant and easy birding hike with views of the largest wetland complex in the Lake Michigan watershed.

The trail includes a separate wheelchair-accessible paved path with quick access to an observation deck. Look for:

Ducks
Geese
Herons
Egrets
Warblers, and
Red-winged Blackbirds

• Lake View Beach - In spring, it’s a fantastic spot for catching smelt, a small, oily fish with a delightful taste. They’re best enjoyed dusted with flour, shallow-fried, and eaten whole. Delicious!
• 1933 Chicago World’s Fair Century of Progress Homes - The five houses in the Century of Progress Historic District were originally showcased at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

The Homes of Tomorrow Exhibit, featuring 12 futuristic houses, was a crowd favorite.

After the fair, a developer bought five of the homes and relocated them here, naming the new community Beverly Shores after his daughter.

While the houses are now owned by the National Park, they are leased to private residents who maintain them.

This means people live in these houses, so you can’t go inside.

Unless you’re fortunate enough to get a ticket to the annual tour every September. Tickets usually sell out within an hour.

• Dunbar Beach - This beach offers seasonal restrooms and potable water. The paved parking lot fills up quickly on summer weekends.

There are no lifeguards, so swimming is at your own risk; rip currents and waves can be hazardous.

• Kemil Beach - This beach is perfect for enjoying the night sky and nocturnal wildlife. It has year-round restrooms and potable water.

The paved parking lot fills up quickly on summer weekends. There are no lifeguards, so swimming is at your own risk; rip currents and waves can be hazardous.

There’s also the Dune Ridge Trail, possibly the most diverse short nature trail in the park.

It traverses forested sand dunes, Black Oak Savannas, and offers stunning views of The Great Marsh and Lake Michigan. Highly recommended if you have the time.

• Little Calumet River Trail - This trail is popular with bird watchers in summer and cross-country skiers in winter.

Once, the Calumet Dunes Ridge was the shoreline of Lake Michigan! Over the last 12,000 years, the water has receded about one and a half miles.

If you hike the trail, try to imagine what the Calumet Dunes looked like when the lake was right here.

Consider all the changes that transformed these old sand dunes, from melting glaciers to wind, water, and time…

• Glenwood Dunes Trail - If you explore this trail system, popular with hikers, runners, horseback riders, and cross-country skiers, be sure to take a trail map.

The trails range from less than 1 mile to 6.8 miles, with extensions exceeding 15 miles.

There are 13 trail junctions, making the trail map essential. Best of all, at 13,000 years old, the Glenwood Dunes are the oldest in the park!

• Indiana Dunes Visitor Center - At the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, explore educational displays, watch short films about the park, shop at the bookstore, and speak with a park ranger.

A highlight of the Visitor Center is the Indigenous Cultural Trail. The National Park honors the Indigenous Potawatomi and Miami People who called this land home and educates visitors about their culture and contributions.

The Indigenous Cultural Trail showcases their connection to the park’s diverse ecosystems, creating a unique educational experience. For more information, ask a ranger!

• Indiana Dunes State Park - This popular spot can get busy! Depending on the time of year or day, park rangers may direct traffic.

You might have to wait in line to enter! Note: the state park requires a separate fee.

If you’re interested in the 3-Dune hiking challenge, head to the Nature Center. Or, go straight to the beach.

There, you’ll find a large, art deco park pavilion with a general store and restaurants. There’s also a bird observatory west of the pavilion.

In winter, enjoy the 100-foot sledding hill near the pavilion called The Devil’s Slide.

History enthusiasts shouldn’t miss the historical marker on the way to the pavilion, marking the site of the 1780 Battle of Petit Fort.

• Porter Beach - Porter Beach is adjacent to the State Park beach but lacks amenities.

However, you can park here and walk a quarter mile along the beach to the state park.

There are no lifeguards at Porter Beach, so swimming is at your own risk. Seasonal restrooms are available at the parking lot.

• Indiana Dunes National Park Cowles Bog Trail - The Cowles Bog Trail is a moderate 4.7 miles with a 202-foot elevation gain. The trail is rugged, with steep dune climbs in loose sand.

Cowles Bog was named after ecologist Dr. Henry Cowles. Sand dunes are excellent for studying plant responses to environmental changes.

That’s exactly what Dr. Cowles did! His research led to the Indiana Dunes being called the birthplace of ecology.

• Indiana Dunes National Park Bailly Cemetery - History buffs and fans of unique sites shouldn’t miss the Bailly Cemetery. This place is truly one-of-a-kind.

Take a shortcut hike, less than half a mile roundtrip, to an old cemetery hidden in the woods. Hear the story of how one family took over the cemetery and made it their own.

• Indiana Dunes National Park Bailly Homestead - The Bailly Homestead is a National Historic Landmark and was home to Joseph and Marie Bailly.

Joseph was one of the first settlers in the area and established a trading post here in 1822.

At one time, the Bailly Homestead was the only stopping point for travelers between Chicago and Detroit.

The Homestead consists of five different buildings, ranging from rustic log cabins and brick structures to the imposing late 19th-century main house.

• Indiana Dunes National Park Chellberg Farm - The Chellbergs were Swedish immigrants who purchased this land in 1869.

Their original wooden farmhouse burned down in 1884, and they replaced it the following year with the brick house you see today.

In the 1930s, they began making maple syrup. You’ll pass the syrup shack on your way to the farm.

Every March, the national park hosts a maple syrup festival! This is the only National Park in the country that produces its own maple syrup.

Check the national park website calendar for ranger programs that allow you to tour the old farmhouse and even feed the cows, chickens, and goats on the farm!

• Mnoke Prairie - The Mnoké Prairie is a restored pre-settlement tallgrass prairie.

This means you can walk through this area and see what it looked like before European-American settlers reached Indiana.

The prairie is an excellent place to spot birds like Double-Breasted Cormorants, Rock Pigeons, and Cooper’s Hawks.

• Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk - This is a great beach and trail for birdwatching in spring and summer. In winter, you can see the shelf ice on Lake Michigan.

The riverwalk is just under a mile and is considered easy. You’ll also find the beach pavilion, which offers snacks, gifts, restrooms, and ranger programs.

• Tolleston Dunes Trail - The Tolleston Dunes are nearly 5,000 years old. The trail is about three miles long and takes you through 5,000-year-old sand dunes.

It’s moderately difficult due to the ups and downs of the dunes, and it can get soggy after rain, but the abundance of trees provides shade from the sun.

Look out for prickly pear cactus, sassafras, and the wild blue lupine flower.

• West Beach - Welcome to West Beach, the largest and busiest beach in the national park.

Located along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, this beach offers something for everyone:

Sunbathing
Swimming
Beachcombing
Birdwatching
There’s also a picnic area near the parking lot and a designated spot for dune climbing.

There are hiking trails, like the Long Lake Loop, which winds through lush forests, wetlands, and rolling sand dunes. And then, there’s the Diana of the Dunes Dare.

If you dare, take the one-mile Dune Succession Trail, which includes a challenging climb up 270 steps to the top of Diana’s Dune.

• Marquette Park - Marquette Park is part of the city of Gary, Indiana, and is outside the National Park.

The park features a playground, a concession stand, hiking trails, a disc golf course, and more.

The beach is perfect for swimming, walking, and relaxing. It also boasts one of the area’s favorite buildings.

The Gary Bathing Beach Aquatorium was built in 1921.

• Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education - Nestled in Miller Woods, just outside Gary, Indiana, is The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education.

The education center is a National Park visitor center with exhibits on the park’s wildlife. Plus, it offers excellent hiking trails.

The Miller Woods Loop Trail is recommended. It’s less than a mile long, meandering through several habitats, with incredible views of the lake.

• Tours never expire
• Offline map available
• Tour highlights with activity and restaurant recommendations
• Turn-by-turn GPS directions
• Hours of audio narration with stories, tips, and music
• Automatic audio narration while driving

• Private transportation
• Meals and refreshment
• Entrance Fees
• Parking Fees

Prepare for an exciting journey through Indiana Dunes National Park with our amusing and insightful audio tour! Explore sandy beaches, verdant forests, and undulating dunes as our humorous guides share fascinating insights about the park’s history, unique wildlife, and interesting facts. Visit essential locations like West Beach, Mount Baldy, and the Heron Rookery, all while enjoying our captivating stories. Learn about the park’s impressive conservation initiatives and meet the creatures that inhabit it. Ideal for families, nature enthusiasts, and anyone with a sense of humor, our audio tour guarantees an enjoyable and educational adventure. Download, plug in your headphones, and embark on a laughter-filled exploration of this Midwest gem!

Download the Shaka Guide app to access the purchased tours

• Get Started Easily: • Book Your Tour: Receive a confirmation and easy instructions via email. • Download the App: Follow the simple steps in your email. • Redeem the Tour: Use the redeem code in your email to redeem the tour in the app. • Prepare Ahead: Download the tour using strong Wi-Fi.
• Begin Your Journey: • Select Your Tour: Go to the My Stuff tab in the Shaka Guide app to launch the tour. • Start the Tour: Select the tour starting point and follow the GPS instructions. • Follow Shaka Guide: Stick to the suggested route and speed for the best experience.
• Why Choose Our Audio Tour: • Cost-Efficient: One tour for the entire vehicle—no per-person fees! • Ultimate Flexibility: Start, pause, and resume on your schedule. • Convenience: Use the tour any day, over multiple days if needed.
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• Private and Personalized: • Crowd-Free: Enjoy a private tour with just your group. • Customizable Stops: Pick the stops you want and skip the ones you don’t!
• The Ultimate Guided Tour: • Detailed Itinerary: Includes travel tips and recommendations. • Engaging Narration: Captivating stories and history.
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• Additional Starting Points: New Buffalo and Sherwood Forest Paintball

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.