West Beach at Indiana Dunes National Park

Nathaniel Moreno, NPS Collection

 

Getting There

West Beach Parking Lot

376 North County Line Road, Gary, IN 46403.

Trailhead GPS Coordinates
41.622934, -87.207747 (Decimal Degrees).

Need to Know

• Open daily from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm.
• Expanded Amenity Fee is collected daily for every vehicle from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through Monday of Labor Day weekend from 8:00 am to as late as 7:00 pm Central Time.
• $6.00 per vehicle or motorcycle per day, $30.00 per bus per day.
• 50% discount for the following America the Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes: Senior Annual, Senior Lifetime, and Access Passes.
• No discount for the following America the Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes: Annual (non-senior), Military, Volunteer, and 4th Grade.
• Cash, U.S. checks or credit, debit and gift cards (MasterCard, Visa and Discover) accepted.
• The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual (non-senior), Volunteer and Military Passes are not accepted.
• The removal of rocks, shells, and fossils is strictly prohibited.
• Pets are permitted everywhere on a leash (6' or shorter) with the exception of the lifeguarded swimming area, which is maintained from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the Monday of Labor Day weekend.
• Glass containers are prohibited on all beaches.
• Fires are prohibited on all beaches.
• Year round restrooms and potable water at the contact station.
• Seasonal restrooms and potable water at the picnic area from mid-May through mid-October.
• Bathhouse with showers and lockers is open seasonally.
• There are 8 covered picnic shelters near the West Beach parking lot that are wheelchair accessible. The shelters are reservable at www.recreation.gov starting six months in advance of the desired use date. The reservation is good for day use from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm. The shelter reservation does not waive the West Beach car entrance fee collected during the summer months.
• Cooking fires at the picnic shelters are permitted in the provided grills or an approved carry-in grill. An approved grill is a noncombustible container with an enclosed bottom and enclosed sides with a minimum depth of 2 inches. Charcoal must be cooled and safely disposed of in a noncombustible container or removed from the area.
• Parking lot has 596 spots and 20 buses and can fill up on holiday weekends.
• Lot can handle buses and RV's.

Visitor Activities

• Swimming. Lifeguards are present from the Friday of Memorial Day through the Monday of Labor Day. Lifeguards are not present at other times of the year. Swim at your own risk. Rip currents and large waves can make swimming hazardous.
• Hike the West Beach Trail System. Enjoy the sweeping views of Lake Michigan from the top of the Dunes Succession trail stairs.

Nearby Beaches

• Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk
• Porter Beach
• Kemil Beach

---