If you haven’t visited the Indiana Dunes parks in the winter yet, you are missing some of the prettiest scenery in Indiana.

Indiana Dunes: An All-Season Destination

Indiana Dunes has a lot to offer even when the mercury drops and the winds rise. Whether looking for smooth rocks along 15 miles of shoreline or hiking 50 miles of trails, those willing to venture into the wilds of Indiana’s first National Park will discover the wonders that nature reveals only during winter.

There are plenty of places to try out new sleds, and in many areas, leashed dogs are welcome. The entire family can spend the day together with horse riding trails to explore and a variety of campgrounds convenient to the dunes and lake.

https://www.indianadunes.com/

Protecting this special part of the state by securing National Park and State Park designations was no easy or quick task. The process began in 1899, thanks in large part to a botanist, a teacher, and an Illinois senator. Henry Cowels, Dorothy Buell, and Paul Douglas recognized the importance of saving the dunes from industry and commercial development. One example being the loss of the 200” Hoosier Slide dune.

As integral as the Ball Brothers are to the growth and prosperity of the state of Indiana, sadly, in their quest for sand necessary to make glass jars, this famous dune was completely destroyed by 1920.

Using wheelbarrows, steam shovels and railcars, the sand was removed and used to manufacture canning jars. All that remains of Hoosier Slide today are the “Ball Blue” jars found in antique stores and forgotten on dusty basement shelves.

Although interest in the “Save the Dunes” effort slowed during the Depression, WWI and WWII, those dedicated to the work needed to conserve and protect the dunes persevered.

At last, on November 5, 1966, the first 8,330 acres of lake, shore and dunes of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore were under the protection of the official Public Law 89-761.

Today, the park includes 15,000 acres following the passage of four expansion bills in 1976, 1980, 1986, and 1992.

Well worth the drive, the Indiana Dunes are the 7th favorite park destination in Indiana. Wild and gorgeous, with plenty to do inside the property as well as throughout the Lake Michigan area, this much loved place is something every Hoosier can be proud to call their own.

https://www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm

A Standard History Of Lake County Indiana And The Calumet Region, Indiana Dunes

https://www.csu.edu/cerc/researchreports/documents/AstandardhistoryofLakeCountyI ndianaCalumetregion1915.pdf