I really like this Beach. I visited on a random Friday and there was plenty of space to park. I…read moreappreciate it the cleanliness of the beach, love that there was a ramp going from the walkway to the sand but wish that they had the accessible aisles leading onto the sand like I've seen at other beaches. For a Midwest Beach, the water was very clean. Of course one season is over so there weren't any lifeguards and there was signage explaining that you are swimming at your own risk. I like that there are two restaurants very close by and although I hate porta potties I appreciate that they are an option when the bathroom closes. I'd definitely visit again!

I was here for the lighthouse and the beach, which turned out to be pretty darned awesome. Even on…read morea cool autumn morning, it was a great visit. They were not yet enforcing the parking which is always a bonus. There were a few other people - not many - and the lack of crowds was great too. [Review 20618 overall - 149 in Indiana - 1599 of 2023.]

The beach area has been slightly updated! They cleaned up the front so it's a flatter walk onto the…read moresand and out to the water now- used to be a slight incline to get past. More signage and a lifebuoy have been installed as well at the front of the beach

My family & I love going to Porter beach for the day! We've been doing this for years. It's not…read morethat far away from Rockford, so it makes a nice day trip or overnight, staying at a nearby hotel.

Beautiful Beach! Went to see the Northern Lights and even though it was getting late, we captured…read moresome great photos!

Took a day drive with my family! 71miles away. By the time you get gas, some quality beef jerky,…read moreand begin driving, then you.are there already. YOU GOTTA DO IT.

THIS spot! Stumbled upon it driving by and what a pleasant surprise. There are stairs for those…read morethat is an issue for; but do know that they did a lovely job of incorporating several deck levels, nooks, and benches that you can enjoy, or use as resting moments up and down. This is a residential neighborhood with many beach rentals, so parking is limited, if busy, bikes might be a better bet. The beach itself is lovely for relaxing, walking, running, dogs, etc. Do respect the dune restorations, and the private property of others. Enjoy!

Nice beach with few steps leading directly to the sand. Parking is a bit sus. I'd highly recommend…read morearriving early to get a parking spot close to the beach. If not, there's a chance you'll have to park down the road a ways. Very clean and well kept beach with beautiful views of Lake Michigan. I highly recommend!

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.

This is my absolute favorite beach. It is quiet and secluded. However, there is very little…read moreparking. The views are spectacular. A great place to spend the day. Bring some snacks, cold drinks and your favorite person.

This is a nice beach. It has restrooms, rinse stations, and very clean sand. It is small and not…read moremany places to park for how nice it is. They have a picnic area that is kept very clean as well. We went mid week at sunset and it was perfect. Easy walk down and nice beach area. Could have also viewed from platforms at parking level.

Driving between Cleveland and Chicago, we like to make time for a stop at Indiana Dunes State Park…read more This time it was a blustery chilly day (Nov 2025), so it wasn't going to be a swimming or hiking day. But we didn't mind the $12 vehicle fee just for the view. South of the park on SR-49, you'll see a Visitors Center, and if we were staying longer, it's a nice stop for local park info, campground reservations, souvenirs, and refreshments. The drive into the state park to Porter Beach takes you through thick woods, and we saw a buck crossing the road, which was a real treat and a reminder that these parks are wild enough. At the end of SR-49, there's an ornate pavilion, and it was closed due to the upcoming holiday, even the cafe and store were closed. The restrooms outside on the boardwalk were open. And we brought our lunch in from Culver's down by I-80. There were only a couple other cars during the time we were there. We pulled up and braved the blowing sand to get a look at the thrashing waters of Lake Michigan. With gusts up to 40mph from an approaching storm, the eaves were spectacular! But it was difficult to stay upright in that wind, not to mention the light sand-blasting we were getting. And we were on the road heading for a holiday visit, so we didnt stay long, only an hour or so. It's a beautiful park, even in the winter. We want to sled down the 170ft dune-canyon known as Devil's Slide!

I'm surprised that seemingly so few people know about the Indiana Dunes State/National Parks! This…read moreis a beautifully unique park, and a must visit for anyone who loves hiking and is looking for a fun challenge. We visited for my husband's birthday, and it was a little tricky to determine which trails were located in the State Park and which trails were located in the National Park. We actually ended up paying for a National Park pass first, but then realized the trail we wanted to hike was in the State Park and so we ended up having to pay for access to that as well. It doesn't make much sense to me that there's not one main visitors center with a flat rate for both parks, but oh well. Let this be a reminder to your research if you're planning a visit soon! We hiked the Three Dune Challenge around 4 PM on a Friday, and there was no one else on the trail! We were shocked to have the whole hike to ourselves. It is indeed a challenge, but the view was well worth it. After making our way down hill and through the campsite (where they could use a bit more signage, especially since that's how they recommend exiting), we drove to the beach and enjoyed the sunset. This park is definitely worth a stop!

We loved this beach! It's large enough that it feels like you're at the ocean, but small enough…read morethat it's not too busy. I was worried it would feel too small since online it said it was about 800 feet, but I couldn't see the end of it from where I was standing. They had a plastic walkway from the parking lot to about halfway down the sand to the waterfront where there were a few benches. It was very easily accessible for my mom who is disabled. We were there a few days before Memorial Day weekend and it was not busy at all, however it was only about 40 degrees outside. I can imagine this place is absolutely packed when it's nice out. Parking is $20 for the day or $7.50 for 3 hours to park in the attached lot. However there's plenty of free parking in town which is probably just a 5 minute walk away.

The lake (Michigan) is so vast like the ocean. It amazes me how it looks like the sea. It's like a…read morebeach with lots of sand and don't forget to wear actual protective shoes and that's a Lyft loss because there are rocks coming out of the sand everywhere so be careful. If you have older persons with wheelchairs and walkers, this is not an easy place to go to, but they could stay near the parking lot and look at the ocean, however. So nice. A lightHouse sits here and it's very romantic esp w the sun going down or up. Lots of places to walk and sit.

We've rented at Beachwalk for 20 years and have always had great experiences -- until LAZY DAYS. We…read morebooked this property because it advertised a hot tub, but it never worked during our stay. The homeowner's maintenance person came to the house multiple times a day, often early in the morning, entering without notice while we weren't there. It was disruptive and uncomfortable. Beachwalk's management was unsympathetic and acted as though the problems were ours to deal with. We received only a $200 refund, which didn't come close to covering the lost amenity or daily disruptions. Since our stay, they've removed the hot tub from the property description, which confirms it was a known issue. We love Beachwalk but we won't return to this property - and the management team really went down hill. Future renters should be aware.

Such an amazing hidden Gem!! We rent out Summer Wind and breezy point every summer. The upgraded…read moreamenities are GREAT! The pool/lake access is great. The kids can play in the sand or pool while I get to read a book. The beach hut has a great small selection of food and ice cream! They also sell sunscreen, apparel, toys, etc. Staff is super sweet and nice. It's always a pleasure to interact with them!!