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Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore large building with trail going in the front and the beach and lake michigan visable in the back
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Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Operating Hours & Seasons
one story building with a tall entrance, green roof and parking lot in front of building

Visitor Center

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Visitor Center
Open daily;
Summer hours 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 
Winter hours 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
The address is 1215 N. State Road 49, Porter, IN 46304 and is located near the southeast corner of U.S. Highways 49 and 20. Shared with the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission and Indiana Dunes State Park visitors receive information about the Indiana dunes and surrounding area.
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Bath House

West Beach Bath House
9 a.m. - dusk from Memorial Day weekend till Labor Day; a user fee is charged.

  • $6.00 per car per day
  • $30.00 per bus per day

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Park Headquarters

Park Headquarters

8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday

 
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Contact Station

Bailly/Chellberg Contact Station
Open limited hours during some special events; associated parking lots and trails are open 7 a.m. till dusk.

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Center for Environmental Education

Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education
Open for scheduled groups. There is a small parking lot for use by visitors hiking the Miller Woods Trail. The trail is open 7 a.m. to sunset daily.

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Cowles Lodge

Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center
Available for groups scheduled for overnight educational visits. Call 219-395-9555 for more information.

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modern building with large glass walled room and curved roof with blue water of Lake Michigan in the background

Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk

Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk
This popular location is open daily, sunrise to dusk.

To learn more about the public programs offered there, contact Portage Parks and Recreation Department at 219-762-1675, extension 301 or the National Park Service at 219/395-1644.

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several plants with lush green growth with very noticable light purple flowers on them

Did You Know?
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore has more than 1,135 native plant species distributed over six plant communities. Among all the national parks in the United States, it ranks seventh in plant diversity. This is an amazing feat for 15,000+ acres.

Last Updated: February 09, 2012 at 15:01 MST