The national parks are places that we, as a family, love to explore. We’ve set a goal to see as many as we possibly can with our daughters. We got started on that goal in 2020, and have checked six major ones off of the list of sixty-three. Last week, we spent four days camping in Indiana Dunes National Park. It was beautiful, and completely different than the other parks we’ve done.
Where We Stayed–
We stayed at Dunewood Campground, which is within the park. You need a national park pass to stay here. We used the free pass that our fourth grader has. You can get one here if your child is going into the fourth grade. There were several places around the campground where a 7 day pass could be purchased for $25. The campground fills up FAST. We made a reservation several months ago, and we snagged the second to last campsite available. Please do not head there and expect to find a spot.
We were thankful for the zero percent chance of rain that allowed us to leave our rain cover off. We’ve collected a lot of our gear over the years from gifts and our own purchases and have a really nice setup going.
Our specific campsite was on the Mather loop; site 29. It was perfect. Our spot was directly across from the restrooms and showers, which also had a big camper’s sink where you could do your dishes or bring hot water back to your site to do them. There was also a water fountain with a bottle filler. We had a TON of space in between our site and our neighbors. It was so shaded and secluded. The girls had a lot of room to explore without disturbing anyone around us. The only downside to it all was the mosquitos. I know, they are just part of camping. But, this was something else. We are all COVERED in bites. We were using OFF! and it didn’t deter them, so we went and got lawn fogger to spray. This only kept them away long enough to eat a quick meal, and then they returned. That is your fair warning. I’ve never experienced being bit like that before. We still loved it.
What We Did–
Our first day (Monday), we set up the campsite and ate lunch. We always head straight for the visitor center to get the junior ranger books for the kids to work on. We also participated in the BARK ranger program with Ranger (our 4 month old Australian shepherd; guess where he got his name) because I am 100% that person. We headed for the beach and waded in the water. The water was so cold despite the 90 degree temperatures.
After dinner, we walked to a gas station outside of the campground and got some soft serve ice cream. I was told that we MUST not miss that. I’m not sure why because it was just regular chocolate/vanilla/twist. It was really good on a hot day though, so I won’t totally knock it. It also was really cheap.
The next day (Tuesday), the heat index was supposed to be almost 100. We packed up early and headed to the beach to swim until lunch time. I love Lake Michigan. It is so blue and vast. You feel like you’re at the ocean without the sharks and salt. We went to Kemil beach, which was perfect for families. It was much less rocky, and it stayed where the kids could touch for quite a long ways. It also wasn’t too crowded. That evening we went to the Bailly Homestead/Chellberg farm and hiked the trail. It was so beautiful to see the old homestead. The farm has chickens, cows, turkeys, etc. Of course we would find a farm to visit. We went back to the beach that night to watch the sun set. It had clouded up, so we couldn’t see much, but it was still beautiful to see the summer solstice sunset.
Day 3 (Wednesday) was a much cooler day. We decided that we wanted to take on the three dunes challenge, which is actually contained in Indiana Dunes State Park. We paid $12 four our carload to enter the park. The three dunes challenge is a 1.5 mile trail with 552 vertical feet of SAND. I thought I was prepared. Scott and I did a 9 mile hike last year with 879 feet of elevation change. I knew it was going to be hard. Hiking on dry, sugary sand is a whole different ballgame. The tallest dune actually has stairs to climb to get up and down, but the others are all straight sand. The girls did such a good job, and we finished in under an hour. The views were beautiful. If you finish, you can go back to the main visitor center and you get to choose from a lot of cool stickers for your water bottle or bumper. We decided to take it easier that afternoon since everyone was pretty worn out. We went back to the beach to watch the sunset again. I’m so glad we did. It was absolutely beautiful. The girls got to go swimming again and were thrilled.
We were leaving on day 4 (Thursday). Once we packed up our campsite and cleaned up all around us, we headed down to Gabis Arboretum. It was a 40 minute drive from the campground, but completely worth it. It costs $10 per carload to enter. There are so many gardens to explore. One of them is a railroad garden where they have a massive train setup. It only runs on the weekends, so we missed it. While we were there, one of the trails was turned into a woodland trail. There were fairy houses all along the path, which we loved. I highly recommend taking the drive down to see it.
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect at Indiana Dunes. I thought it would be all sand. But, Indiana Dunes is the most biodiverse park in the US. There is something for everyone to see and enjoy! It is also incredibly dog friendly. The lifeguarded beaches are dog-free zones. But, dogs are allowed just about anywhere. People were even walking into the buildings with their pooches. Definitely take the time to visit if you get the chance!
Some Resources–
Our tent— I love our tent so much. It’s a 10 person blackout tent. It is a breeze to put up by yourself and does come with a rain cover. The prices has gone up so much that I’m afraid to even link it! Scott worked a lot of overtime for us to buy this tent, and we use it all the time, but we sure didn’t pay this much for it.
Canopy (similar)– This takes a couple of people to set up, but it’s worth it!
Pocket wall— this was a gift from my mom and came in so handy!
Camp Stove— I love this little powerhouse.
