Best time to visit Indiana Dunes National Park
The short answer
Best months to visit Indiana Dunes National Park: September. Daily highs run around 75°F, with about half of July's visitors.
Hardest months: December–March, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Indiana Dunes National Park month by month
Park-wide averages across 5 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 32° / 20°F | 1.4 in | 9.6 in | Quiet | – |
| February | Poor | 34° / 20°F | 1.7 in | 8.9 in | Quiet | – |
| March | Poor | 44° / 30°F | 2.8 in | 4.3 in | Quiet | – |
| April | Fair | 55° / 39°F | 3.6 in | 2.5 in | Quiet | – |
| May | Good | 66° / 51°F | 4.6 in | – | Moderate | – |
| June | Fair | 77° / 61°F | 4.9 in | – | Busy | – |
| July | Fair | 79° / 66°F | 4.8 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Good | 79° / 66°F | 4.3 in | – | Busy | – |
| September | Best | 74° / 61°F | 3.4 in | – | Moderate | – |
| October | Fair | 61° / 49°F | 4.9 in | – | Moderate | – |
| November | Poor | 48° / 36°F | 2.1 in | 3.3 in | Quiet | – |
| December | Poor | 40° / 29°F | 2.1 in | 3.9 in | Quiet | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 21°F | 1.4 in | 10.0 in |
| February | 34°F | 21°F | 1.7 in | 9.1 in |
| March | 44°F | 30°F | 2.8 in | 4.6 in |
| April | 55°F | 39°F | 3.6 in | 2.6 in |
| May | 66°F | 51°F | 4.5 in | – |
| June | 77°F | 61°F | 4.8 in | – |
| July | 79°F | 66°F | 4.8 in | – |
| August | 79°F | 66°F | 4.3 in | – |
| September | 74°F | 61°F | 3.5 in | – |
| October | 61°F | 49°F | 4.9 in | – |
| November | 48°F | 36°F | 2.2 in | 3.8 in |
| December | 40°F | 29°F | 2.0 in | 4.2 in |
West Beach
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 20°F | 1.3 in | 8.7 in |
| February | 34°F | 20°F | 1.6 in | 8.5 in |
| March | 44°F | 30°F | 2.8 in | 3.7 in |
| April | 54°F | 39°F | 3.8 in | 2.3 in |
| May | 65°F | 51°F | 4.7 in | – |
| June | 76°F | 61°F | 5.0 in | – |
| July | 79°F | 66°F | 4.7 in | – |
| August | 79°F | 66°F | 4.6 in | – |
| September | 74°F | 61°F | 3.5 in | – |
| October | 61°F | 49°F | 5.1 in | 0.5 in |
| November | 47°F | 36°F | 2.1 in | 2.4 in |
| December | 39°F | 29°F | 2.1 in | 3.0 in |
Cowles Bog
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 21°F | 1.4 in | 10.0 in |
| February | 34°F | 21°F | 1.7 in | 9.1 in |
| March | 44°F | 30°F | 2.8 in | 4.6 in |
| April | 55°F | 39°F | 3.6 in | 2.6 in |
| May | 66°F | 51°F | 4.5 in | – |
| June | 77°F | 61°F | 4.8 in | – |
| July | 79°F | 66°F | 4.8 in | – |
| August | 79°F | 66°F | 4.3 in | – |
| September | 74°F | 61°F | 3.5 in | – |
| October | 61°F | 49°F | 4.9 in | – |
| November | 48°F | 36°F | 2.2 in | 3.8 in |
| December | 40°F | 29°F | 2.0 in | 4.2 in |
Miller Woods
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 20°F | 1.4 in | 8.8 in |
| February | 34°F | 19°F | 1.7 in | 8.5 in |
| March | 45°F | 30°F | 2.8 in | 4.0 in |
| April | 55°F | 39°F | 3.6 in | 2.3 in |
| May | 67°F | 51°F | 4.6 in | – |
| June | 77°F | 61°F | 5.0 in | – |
| July | 80°F | 66°F | 4.7 in | – |
| August | 80°F | 65°F | 4.4 in | – |
| September | 75°F | 60°F | 3.3 in | – |
| October | 62°F | 48°F | 4.8 in | – |
| November | 48°F | 35°F | 2.1 in | 2.5 in |
| December | 40°F | 28°F | 2.1 in | 3.3 in |
Central Avenue Beach
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32°F | 21°F | 1.4 in | 10.3 in |
| February | 34°F | 21°F | 1.8 in | 9.1 in |
| March | 44°F | 30°F | 2.7 in | 4.7 in |
| April | 55°F | 39°F | 3.6 in | 2.6 in |
| May | 67°F | 51°F | 4.7 in | – |
| June | 77°F | 62°F | 4.8 in | – |
| July | 80°F | 66°F | 4.9 in | – |
| August | 79°F | 66°F | 4.1 in | – |
| September | 74°F | 61°F | 3.4 in | – |
| October | 61°F | 49°F | 5.0 in | – |
| November | 48°F | 37°F | 2.1 in | 4.2 in |
| December | 40°F | 30°F | 2.1 in | 4.6 in |
Indiana Dunes National Park by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a mixed time to visit Indiana Dunes National Park. Daily highs average 44–66°F and lows 30–51°F. Expect about 3.7 in of rain a month and 2.3 in of snow, with up to 1 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 26–56% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a good time to visit Indiana Dunes National Park. Daily highs average 77–79°F and lows 61–66°F. Expect about 4.7 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 81–100% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a mixed time to visit Indiana Dunes National Park. Daily highs average 48–74°F and lows 36–61°F. Expect about 3.5 in of rain a month and 1.3 in of snow, with up to 0 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 22–52% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit Indiana Dunes National Park. Daily highs average 32–40°F and lows 20–29°F. Expect about 1.7 in of rain a month and 7.4 in of snow, with up to 2 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 14–17% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
On average, the warmest month is July and the highest recorded temperature was 105F in 1934. The coolest month is January, with the lowest recorded temperature of -25F in 1985. June sees the most precipitation with an average rainfall of 4.66 Inches.
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 5 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
