This is a very nice nature preserve. We took photos in multiple locations on the premises and…read moredidn't have to walk very far. One daughter stated that she can walk the whole thing in 2 hours or less, but we had grandbabies and didn't want to challenge that statement. We were there to shoot family pictures for the Holidays. Daughter #2 does photography as her side hustle. Great venue for us. We saw a lot of wedding parties out there also taking pictures. I highly recommend!

A very cute nature preserve. It's not very big. I walked the whole thing in under 2 hours, and…read morethat was stopping and taking pictures and enjoying my surroundings. Multiple little bridges, a pond, and even an amphitheater. There are multiple benches throughout the park and there is a pavilion. Super cute. Beautiful area. I recommend checking it out.

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.

A beautiful park, playground and experience. I came here for a few hours because the Plugshare app…read moreindicated that they have Level 1 power outlets here. Yes, they do. All along the fenceline. While the Sprinter van was charging, I took the time to enjoy this space. It was originally a fully functioning farm that was purchased by Colonel Robert Heffron Murray and his wife in 1934. After Colonel Murray passed away in 1972, his estate donated the land to Porter County. Now, it has walking trails, an accessible playground, some learning and caption signs and even cross-country skiing. The park offers seasonal tent camping. No RVs or cars or trailer campsites. But the parking lot is huge and you can certainly park here to visit. [Review 20602 overall - 136 in Indiana - 1583 of 2023.]

Bought Lions Club tickets and no numbers were called even though we were told they would be. We…read morewaited- nothing. This is fraud.

This is NOT hiking at the Indiana Dunes State Park. Just go to the park. No guide neededread more

From the owner: As an Indiana Master Naturalist, Ron Seman has a good handle on the physical things one sees on a…read morehike like birds, bogs, creeks, fungi, lakes, land animals, marshes, plants, streams, swamps, trees, watersheds and .... HOWEVER, Ron explains the unseen, the microbial world. He explains how the Indiana Dunes has the number 4 biodiversity in the United States and how it is NUMBER ONE (1) in biodiversity density. Biodiversity density is important because it helps build our our own biodiversity in our microbiome, which determines our health and is the immune system. We have 99 trillion microbial cells and only 1 trillion human cells. He has all kinds of scientific instruments that he can use to analyze and quantify the things seen on a hike. He can talk about the history of the Indiana Dunes' characters like Dorothy Buell, Diana of the Dunes, Henry Chandler Cowles, Jens Jensen, Paul H. Douglas. President Kennedy, He can talk about the greatest hiking club ever, the Chicago Prairie Club and its impact on the Indiana Dunes. See RonSeman.Com

Another good part of the National dunes! Super cool area. It gave me evermore vibes before evermore…read morewas a thing. Nice little 3.5 mile loop that's not too difficult. But it's definitely fun. I recommend going out of your way to the cemetery. It's pretty cool and just an architectural marvel. I got lost the first time because I didn't think the loop went by the house but it turns out that's just Bailly Homestead. Made it closer to a 4 mile walk. There are bathrooms in the parking lot, which is important since it's a long walk. There are also animals at the farm! We got to see a bunch of pigs, some chickens, and cows.

During a weekend visit to Indiana Dunes we wanted to get a really good hike in. We stopped by the…read moreIndiana Dunes Visitor Center and we were thankful we did. It seems if you know nothing about the area, you can be easily confused and lost. The State park actually is in the National Park boundary. The volunteer at the visit center gave us many hiking options. We ended up choosing the Bailly Homestead and Chellberg Farm. Both for the history aspect of it and the great hiking trails. It had three loops, a smaller one about .63 mile, a larger one about a mile, and the big loop approximately 2.4 miles with runs into the Calumet Trail. All are pretty easy walks. If your looking for a great hike in the Dunes area definitely give the Bailly Homestead a look. It has a decent size parking lot and restrooms. I'd also highly suggest stopping by the National Park Visitor Center as it is very close by.

Valparaiso really is a beautiful little town full of towering trees, great local history, scenic…read moreviews, and friendly people. Rogers-Lakewood Park is definitely no exception. Situated on what appear to be a series of small lakes, this park has something for everybody. Our favorites included the rock-climbing wall, the miles and miles of trails, and above all, the paddle boats! Being our first time ever on a paddle boat, even as novices we got the hang of it pretty quickly! The young man who checked us in and provided us with our paddle-boat accessories was very friendly and helpful. I actually prefer the paddle boats at Rogers-Lakewood as opposed to the boats offered at other lakes because they were able to easily fit up to 4 people. We got to see a lot of friendly wildlife, including the cutest little beaver that a little kid dubbed "Justin Beaver." LOL! There are fees involved with this park, and be advised that the cost is slightly higher for out-of-state license plates. The park needs to make money somehow, mainly for the upkeep I'm sure, and we were glad to support such a wonderful park. It's easy to find, there's a lot to do, and I can guarantee you won't get bored!

I would give a few more stars but i am beyond ticked that the city of Valpo charges admission for a…read morecity park.

Imagination Glen has some of the best hiking and biking trails in NW Indiana. A great deal of care…read morehas gone into their planning and execution. There are over 10 miles of outback-style single-track bike trails, which range from very easy to quite challenging. The well-paved Prairie Duneland Trail and Iron Horse Trail run along the edge of the park. These easy asphalt trails can be used to hike or bike all the way into Chesterton (to the east) or Hobart (to the west). The backwoods hiking trails are perfect for those who enjoy getting close to nature. I have watched beavers and muskrats working the banks of Salt Creek here. If you enjoy hiking or biking, you will find a wide range of difficulties here, one of which will surely capture your interest.

Beautiful park for sports, take a nature hike, great place for kids…read more Peaceful. Love to visit around September/October when the leaves change color. Have a open mind and enjoy yourself!