Pet Friendly Adventures in Indiana Dunes National Park
Exploring Dog Friendly Indiana Dunes National Park
Located along Lake Michigan’s southern shore Indiana Dunes offers visitors two parks to explore, Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes State Park. Covering 15 miles of prime lake front real estate, it’s extremely easy to visit both parks. Especially since the state park is surrounded by the national park! There are quite a few activities for adventuring within the park; biking, hiking, swimming, bird watching, camping, and fishing just to name a few. Both parks are also very dog friendly so pack up the fur baby and let’s go explore the Indiana Dunes area.
Pet Friendly Activities in Indiana Dunes National Park
Take A Hike
There are so many dog friendly hiking options within the two parks. The two trails that are NOT dog friendly are Glenwood Dunes and Pinhook Bog. What’s cool about the hiking in Indiana Dunes National Park and State Park is that there really is a lot of variety. You could be hiking sand dunes one moment and then be in a marsh or swamp another moment. There are hikes with lush forests and others with beach views. With so much contrast it can be hard to pick what hikes you’ll want to explore. So here are some of the fan favorites within the parks; The 3 Dune Challenge, Diana of the Dunes, Cowles Bog Trail, and the Bailly-Chellberg Trail (which we’ll discuss in more detail a bit later).
Insider Tip: The bugs can be a real issue in the spring and summer. I highly suggest checking your selected hike on AllTrails to read recent comments. Most people will leave information about the bugs. There are times the bugs can make the hikes downright dreadful. I suggest to explore with caution and be extra prepared!
Explore the Century of Progress Historic District
This is a great activity to do when the weather isn’t ideal because you can drive and there are short term parking options along the road. It was really hot the day that I explored, and this was an ideal activity. In the car you can still get an up-close view to the featured homes. Located on Lake Front Drive in Beverly Shores these eclectic homes were built for the 1933 World’s Fair is Chicago. The idea was for architects to showcase the future of United States housing in an exhibit called “Homes of Tomorrow”. The architects used updated designs, focused on new technologies, and experimented with a wide variety of materials. This makes each house not only unique but also extremely interesting. There are interpretive signs near the homes to help you better understand the inspiration, material used, and the designs themselves.
This is obviously not each home’s original location. They were moved here for marketing, to create interested in a resort housing community. Now they are on display for all to view and the homes are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The featured homes are the Cyprus Log Cabin, the Armco-Ferro House, the House of Tomorrow, the Rostone House, and my favorite the Florida Tropicana House. This is a must see on your trip to Indiana Dunes National Park.
Insider Tip: Once a year you can tour the inside of the Century of Progress Homes. Tickets go on sale in August and the annual tour is the last weekend of September. More information can be found here!
Trace History
Take a short hike while also learning and tracing the history of the area by exploring Bailly-Chellberg. The Bailly Homestead, Chellberg Farm Trail (Inner Loop) is a 1.5-mile trail that takes roughly 45 minutes to complete. On the trail you’ll step back in time as you learn about the previous inhabitants of the area.
Bailly Homestead
You can explore the Bailly Homestead which was the house of a French-Canadian fur trader Jospeh Bailly. Built in the 1820s Jospeh Bailey and his family selected this site because of its proximity to the Little Calumet River. You’ll learn more about the Bailey’s as well the Potawatomi tribe, which was the dominate tribe in the area at the time, from the interpretive signs along the trail.
Chellberg Farm
Next along the trail you’ll be welcomed to the Chellberg Farm. Many Swedish immigrants started to reside in the area in the 1850s. Then they started purchasing land for farming and in 1885 the Chellberg brick farmhouse was constructed. Three generations worked here on the farm and today you can step back in time and imagine what it was like to live and work on the farm. On my visit it was summer solstice so there was a Swedish Midsummer celebration at the farm. The farm does have events so make sure to check at the visitor center to see what’s going on during your visit.
Insider Tip: Certain days and times you can actually go inside the Chellberg Farm and learn more about daily life on a farm. Make sure to check at the visitor center if the Chellberg Farm Open House is available during your visit. (Please note dogs are NOT allowed inside the house). If you aren’t able to go inside on your visit, check out this information from the National Park that explains a bit more about the house.
Pup Friendly Bike Ride
One of the best ways to explore Indiana Dunes National Park is on a bike. And don’t fret, if you didn’t bring your bike, it’s no problem. You can easily rent a bike at the visitor center with Pedal Power Rentals. They provide bike rentals along with locks, baskets, maps, and helmets. Just make sure, if you’re bringing your fur baby along, you have all their necessary gear! Check out their website for hours, rates, as well as popular bike routes.
There are quite a few biking trails you can explore within the national park and state park. I suggest taking the Dunes-Kankakee Trail from the visitor center to start your exploration (especially if you’re renting your bike from the visitor center). From here you have options like biking to the State Park beach, or hitting up the Calumet Bike Trail where you have the opportunity to bike to various hiking locations in the park.
Insider Tip: The Calumet Bike Trail is a popular biking trail, but it is also a bit more rugged trail than other trails. Be aware that the trail is loose gravel and there can be standing water on the trail, especially after a good rain. If you’re not used to riding a bike, this trail might be a bit difficult. Make sure to check out the trail information before heading to the park.
Additional Resources
- Where to Stay? I love the quaint charming historical city of Valparaiso.
- Best coffee around-Dagger Mountain Roastery.
- Wanna visit another dog friendly Midwest National Park? Check out the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.
- Explore the BARK Ranger program. Complete the BARK Ranger activity guide and you’ll receive a collectible park dog tag!
Happy exploring to you and your furry baby. Adventure Awaits!