Stretching between Gary and Michigan City,
this natural phenomenon is part of the ever-changing Lake Michigan Shoreline.
A total of 15,000 acres are encapsulated by the borders of this recognized
National Lakeshore, and with a wide variance of environments, it remains
northern Indiana’s most interesting attraction.
The oldest dunes here are estimated to be around 8,000 to 12,000 years
old and covered in vegetation, trees, bushes, etc. Entire forests have
grown atop the hills, set back from the Indiana shoreline. The younger
dunes though are not as thoroughly inhabited, still mostly rolling sand,
good for a day at the beach.
Prairie land, swamps, sandy shores, and dense wilderness all inhabit
the space, giving visitors a variety of diverse natural elements to
explore. Study human interaction with the varying land by visiting an
Indiana homestead from the early 1800’s, currently open for tours.
