Indiana Dunes National Park West Beach

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Indiana Dunes National Park West Beach

Photo: Indianadunes · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🏖️ Beach · Portage

5 hours · $ · No reservation needed

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 2.0
1–3 yrs
★ 4.0
3–5 yrs
★ 4.0
5–10 yrs
★ 5.0
  • 🚗
    About 80 min drive
    From Naperville · Parking: West Beach lot about $6 per car (charged in summer, check the website), with a line to get in after 10am
  • 🎒
    Carrier recommended
    Terrain isn't stroller-friendly; a carrier is easier
  • 🌳
    Little shade
    Great on sunny days · Handles heat
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 5 hours
    Best seasons: Summer · Fall

Giant dunes on the south shore of Lake Michigan; West Beach has lifeguards, changing rooms, and the 1-mile Dune Succession Trail, a set of wooden stairs up to the dune top with views of the lake and the distant Chicago skyline. Rolling down the dunes keeps kids happy all day.

💡 Tips
Arrive before 10am on summer weekends; bring a sun shelter, since the beach has no shade at all. Indiana Dunes State Park next door charges separately (about $12 for out-of-state cars) and has taller dunes and a Nature Center. It's a 1-hour-20-minute drive, fine as a day trip.

What this place offers

✓sandy beach
✓dunes
✓dune climbing
✓lifeguards
✓changing rooms
✓full day
✓restrooms

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Portage

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

☁️
Sat 10/17
Overcast · 42–55°F · 39% rain
☀️
Sun 10/18
Sunny · 38–61°F · 0% rain

Location

Portage, Indiana

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