Indiana Dunes National Park

West Beach

West Beach is the most visited beach in the park, with wide sand and a clear, open view of Lake Michigan. Swimming is a major draw here, and the beach pairs well with hiking. The Dune Succession Trail starts near the bathhouse and climbs 270 stairs to a viewpoint over the lake and the Chicago skyline. The loop highlights four stages of dune development and passes through a pinery of jack pines, some of the most southern jack pines in the world. Other trails wind through secluded forest, and the Long Lake section is a good spot for birding. Eight covered picnic shelters sit near the parking lot, and the bathhouse offers restrooms and showers. The views also take in some of the park's large dunes.

Cowles Bog

The Cowles Bog Trail loops through a National Natural Landmark wetland complex of ponds, marshes, swamps and a fen, the place where botanist Henry Chandler Cowles carried out early field work that helped launch plant ecology. The 4.7-mile route moves through several habitats, from wetlands to black oak savanna, before steep sand dunes lead down to a beach on Lake Michigan. Plenty of visitors carry a lunch to eat at the shoreline before heading back, and lakeside weather often differs sharply from conditions at the parking lot, so an extra layer is wise. Bring a good supply of drinking water and something to shield you from the sun. The trail is also part of the 1966 Hiking Challenge, a series of 19 hikes totaling 66 miles that marks the park's founding.

Miller Woods

Alternating sand ridges and wetlands give this area its distinctive ridge and swale topography. The beach ridges were shaped by Lake Michigan's waves more than 3,000 years ago, and the low depressions between them hold ponds or marshes. The Paul H. Douglas Trail winds through this landscape on its way to the lake, passing an oak savanna and interdunal ponds. Wildflowers line the route, and birders can look for red-headed woodpeckers in the black oaks and six-lined race runner lizards on the hot sand. The trail begins near the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education, which runs educational programs and has a Nature Play Zone for children. Along with hiking, the trail is open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Central Avenue Beach

A steep, sandy path drops from a large mound of dune down to the Lake Michigan shoreline, and that mound doubles as a viewpoint over the beach. Because the walk down is a bit tougher than at nearby beaches, crowds tend to stay lighter, especially in the busiest months. Visitors come to swim and relax on the sand. From the paved parking lot on Central Avenue, a sandy trail and short stretch of road lead to the beach in about five minutes on foot, and restrooms are available there. Two picnic tables sit at the west end of the lot, up the stairs. Central Avenue Walk-in Campsites offer primitive camping on grass-covered sites up a large hill. For the dunes behind the beach, visitors are urged to stay on the sand instead of climbing the slopes.