Indiana Sand Dunes

June 2024 | Park 31

Part + Park 1 (of 2) on our Summer 2024 roadtrip to the Midwest.

Before 2019, Indiana Sand Dunes National Park was designated a “national lakeshore.” When we first learned it was getting added to the National Park lineup, I wasn’t sure how we were going to figure out a good way to get there since Indiana hasn’t historically been part of our travel rotation or made our dream destinations list (…nor do we expect it to ever make that list, sorry, Indy). So when my mom announced she wanted to celebrate her 60th birthday in Michigan in the summer of 2024, we seized on the opportunity to convert it into a trip that included a couple nearby(ish) parks.

We opted to drive from Colorado and bring Kiya with us since both of the parks we aimed to visit on this trip were dog-friendly (plus, trips with our dog > trips without our dog). After a fun stopover day in Chicago, we met up with another sibling who had driven from Oregon and camped together at Dunewood Campground in the park. Pros of this campground? Beautiful trees and not too many close neighbors in the walk-in campsite section. Cons? Being almost eaten alive by mosquitos. Neutral, but worth noting? Beware the ninja-like raccoons who silently descend from the surrounding trees after dark, ready to raid each campsite for whatever scraps they can find.

We also spent a long afternoon on Lake View Beach, introducing Kiya to the largest body of water she’d yet seen and catching some sun rays. When I think of this park, those are my first and favorite memories. The following morning, we squeezed in a short rainy forest hike next to a wetland area and checked out the visitor center before hopping back in our car and continuing the drive north into West Michigan.

Pictured below:

• Kiya at Lake View Beach and Dunewood Campground.

• Views from our morning hike at the start of Cowles Bog Trail.