Good place to launch kayaks or canoes, this place used to be unkempt and dangerous. Near the…read morehistorically important Altgeld Gardens housing project, this end of the river has other important African American historic sites. It's the start to the African American Heritage Water Trail. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/33c3120579f9471e84e51f8684ced943

It's a great place to relax and fish and I suggest it to who ever enjoy being outdoorsread more

This is one of the most scenic, well preserved paved trails in Northwest Indiana. Starting in Crown…read morePoint, there is more than enough parking and space available. The area is always clean and well kept. Although Crown Point is a very industrialized town, the path ventures over a stream, through farmland, by tall grass, and other beautiful scenery. It usually has the occasional runner or dog walker, but still mostly quiet. I've come for long bike rides and skate boarding alike, and it's always a pleasure to go to this trail. If you enjoy bike riding, this trail is perfect. There are even gazebos along the way for cute picnics. Definitely a local favorite for me.

Currently under construction. Will likely be open for the winter…read more The trail provides good windbreaks and lots of trees. When the bathroom facilities are open they are usable. Way better than a hole-in-the-ground-type facility. Lots of nature is along the trail and makes for a great setting.

The adventure garden is small, but cute! This was well done for little explorers. It would be nice…read moreif the train ran a bit more regularly in the model train gardens, and the playground near the trains could use a little TLC. There were nice trails and a beautiful atmosphere overall!

Really nice place to visit. Nice park for the kids, a variety of hiking trails, clean restroom's…read moreavailable. We enjoyed the train display (small charge).

Want a free workout that will kick your butt? Head over to the Swallow Cliff stairs. There are…read morepeople of all fitness levels that make the trek here. Stay to the right and keep your own pace. The forest preserve has done a nice job maintaining the area. There are tables to have a picnic, clean bathrooms, and seasonal café. There is a decent amount of parking too. It does get packed if weather is nice. People like to use rocks to track their loop numbers. Signs say no dogs allowed on the stairs.

The stairs start out widely spaced and then desend as a normal staircase . There is and opening in…read morethe middle where you can rest or turn around. It maybe a bit strenuous for old geezers like me , but I played off the rest stop like I didn't to use my phone . Some long shaded benches greet you on top or choose from four pavilion benches ( see picture )

I was here for the lighthouse and enjoyed much of the walk. I would have gone the whole way but the…read morewind was too strong for my comfort. And also, I hadn't purchased a park pass and didn't want to stay long enough that they might notice. The park and the riverwalk are lovely. The view of the lake is amazing. Well worth the visit. If you're planning on buying an annual park pass, it's even better. [Review 20619 overall - 150 in Indiana - 1600 of 2023.]

We love the lakefront, it is a great spot to hang out and watch the sunset. In the summer they will…read morehave entertainment at the food court area. They have a nice walking path as well.

I love the visitors center. Nice selection of souvenirs. Very helpful clerks. I would've given them…read morean additional star, but they're not open every day.

I know there's not much to do in the Beecher-Crete area. I grew up there. However, I have fond…read morememories of Plum Creek, and I've gone back there with younger siblings who didn't get to experience it (up to that point). The Nature Center has been redone, and it looks great, and the hiking trails are pretty good. Yes, this part of Illinois is mostly unremarkable for wildlife, but in just a few minutes, we found a tangle of snakes near us sunning in a pond (it's a brain teaser to count how many, see attached). Plum Creek is also famous for its hill. Even in springtime, it's fun to see who can run up and down the fastest. Of course, when there's snow, the competition is really on.

We only had a morning to explore the park and enjoyed our short journey. There was construction…read moregoing on so we had to detour to make it to the beach but it was worth the drive. There was a large parking lot, showers to remove sand and restrooms near the beach. It was beautiful scenery and my kids loved looking for "beach treasures". Perfect for a beautiful September day.

A family beach day at Indiana Dunes on August 9, 2024, became a humiliating and traumatic…read moreexperience. My husband and I brought our four children, ages 9, 7, 3, and 1, along with my sister and her 9-year-old son. After lifeguards warned us to stay knee-deep because of strong waves, my nephew went slightly too far into the water twice. We apologized and understood the safety concern. Instead of simply asking us to leave, security escalated the situation: my husband was detained on the beach, and I was repeatedly prevented from returning to our children, who were only 30-40 feet away. I watched my 9-year-old daughter cry while a stranger comforted her and tried to help her wrangle my 3 and 1-year olds. When another National Park law-enforcement officer arrived, I asked whether I could return to my children. He immediately said yes, making the first officer's refusal even harder to understand. The situation was humiliating and frightening for our family, especially over a minor safety violation involving a 9-year-old child (and again - this child was not even ours, it was my sister's son). We later requested records and video through FOIA so the incident could be independently reviewed. Despite our efforts, they never provided us with the footage. We fully support enforcing water-safety rules. If we needed to leave, we would have left. But there was no reason a simple safety issue had to become detention, separation from our children, and public humiliation. Our family experienced none of the judgment, proportionality, or basic humanity that day. We will never return to Indiana Dunes. When we want a beach day now, we drive past Indiana and continue to Michigan.

Very nice and accessible friendly park. It's a short stroll but peaceful and beautiful. Great place…read morefor fishing and bird watching. Only thing is that parking is very limited.

What a great hike! So calm and peaceful. And the elevated walkways by the canopies are awesome…read more Try and come here if you can. So close to New Buffalo!

My friend and I visited on Monday, and the weather was perfect. Mt Baldy was almost empty at around…read more5pm. The giant sand dune is a sight to behold. It's super easy to get to the area where you climb the dune and get to the other side. A ramp was made after the well-known story of the boy who was swallowed into the dunes in 2013 (look for the news story in Google), so it's perfectly safe as long as you don't climb areas that are clearly marked as prohibited/peligro. The views are stunning! The beautiful blue water, a setting sun, a vast empty beach below, and gulls singing In the air create a very peaceful place to sit, relax, #latergram, and take it all in. There is even a spot where you and a loved one can take photos and get a good background view. Check out my pics and click if you found my review useful, funny, and cool.

We have some history here, and a two-part one at that. When my son was young..2-4yrs old, we used…read moreto come here each spring. We'd walk the trail to the point were you deviated up the side of the dune (Mt. Baldy) and ascended to the top where we would explore and play. I used to post pictures of the views from the top...most believing we were at a Caribbean island or some elegant destination. Nope..just northern Indiana! Then our visits were halted. An unfortunate accident happened to a young boy here about 8 years ago and the dunes were completely shot down to visitors. Fast forward to 2020..we finally made our way back. Mt. Baldy has been forever closed to foot traffic which is very sad, most likely linked to the incident that happened years ago. You can still walk the trail around Mt. Baldy which leads you to the beach, but access on the dune is prohibited. This was a great dune to climb and explore. Hopefully, it reopens again someday.