Indiana Dunes National Park facts for kids
Indiana Dunes National Park is a special place in Indiana, United States. It's famous for its amazing beaches and sandy hills. Many people visit this park every year.
The park is located along the shores of Lake Michigan. It's about 50 miles (80 km) (80 km) southeast of Chicago. Visitors love to swim and sail on the lake here. They also enjoy watching many different kinds of birds. The park has beautiful forests with oak and maple trees. People can learn about all the plants that grow there.
This area became the 61st national park in the United States. It was officially named Indiana Dunes National Park on February 15, 2019. The park covers about 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres).
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What's in a Name?
The park used to be called Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. It was managed by the National Park Service. In February 2019, its name changed to Indiana Dunes National Park. This change did not affect the park's size or how it was funded.
However, the new name gives it the same important recognition. It is now seen like other famous national parks. These include well-known places like Yellowstone and Yosemite.
Amazing Nature and Wildlife
Indiana Dunes National Park is one of the most diverse natural places in North America. It has about 1,500 different kinds of plants. This means you can find many unique flowers, trees, and other plant life here.
The Dunes are also on a major path for migrating birds. Birdwatching is a very popular activity for visitors. More than 300 different types of birds live in or pass through the park. You can see waterbirds like loons and herons. There are also birds of prey such as bald eagles and hawks. Many kinds of songbirds make their home here too.
Sweet Maple Sugar
In the winter, people enjoy collecting sap from maple trees in the park. They use this sap to make delicious maple syrup. Sap is a sweet liquid found inside trees. You can get sap by making a small hole in a tree.
Long ago, local American Indians collected maple tree sap. Early settlers and farmers also used it.
Maple Sugar Time Festival
Every March, the park holds a fun event called the Maple Sugar Time festival. Visitors can learn how American Indians first boiled maple sap to make sugar. They also see how early settlers used large iron kettles to make syrup.
At the festival, you can buy pure maple syrup and sugar. There are also other tasty products. These include maple-flavored popcorn and maple water.
Related pages
Images for kids
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West side of the national park
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East side of the national park
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Yellow trout-lily
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Typical wildflowers near Mount Baldy. Plants such as these help hold the dune together.
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The Florida Tropical House, back elevation taken from the beach.
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Lustron House on Drake Avenue
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Richard Lieber (front right) with NPS Director Stephen Mather at what would become Indiana Dunes State Park in 1916
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Map of the Paul H. Douglas Trail
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Contours of the Cowles Bog Trail from the trailhead to Lake Michigan. Distances shown in yards/meters.
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Chicago visible across Lake Michigan from West Beach, Indiana Dunes National Park
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Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center
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Pavilion at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk.
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Skyline of Chicago from West Beach
