Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore - Facilities

Facilities

• Dunewood Campground is located in the east section of the park, south of U.S. Route 12 at Broadway. The facility has 78 campsites (53 drive-in some drive through and 25 walk-in). Both the Douglass and Mather loops have restrooms with showers and a wheelchair accessible site. The campground is open from April 1 through October 31. There is a fee.
• Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center is located at 1215 N. State Road 49, just off State Route 49 south of the intersection with U.S. Route 20. The visitor center includes exhibits on the national lakeshore and a display of artwork created in the lakeshore. The center is jointly operated by the National Park Service and the Porter County Visitor and Recreation Commission (PCCRVC). The visitor center is open daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.
• Bailly/Chellberg Contact Station is located in Porter, on Mineral Springs Road, just north of U.S. 20. It is closed most of the year, except during events. The parking area provides access to the Bailly Homestead and the Chellberg Farm.
• Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center or the Dunes Learning Center is located on Howe Road. It is west of the Bailly/Chellberg Contact Station and is reached from U.S. 20 by passing the Bailly/Chellberg facility and going around the block to Howe Road. The Dunes Learning Center is an over night environmental experience for school classes. It is run by a partner of the lakeshore.
• Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk is the newest facility at the national lakeshore. It is located along the Burns Waterway, tucked next to U.S. Steel's, Midwest Plant. It can be reached off of Indiana State Road 249 by following the signs past the steel mill. The area offers a fishing pier, a riverwalk and a hike bike trail through the restored dunescape. There is beach access and a 3,500-square-foot (330 m2) pavilion.
• West Beach Bathhouse is located in Portage north of U.S. Route 12 on County Line Road. West Beach has ample parking, picnic shelters, and a bathhouse with showers. The bathhouse includes changing rooms, restrooms, and a lifeguarded beach. The Dune Succession Trails, West Beach Trail and the Long Lake Trail are all located in the West Beach area.
• Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is located in the far west end of the park, in the Miller Beach community of the City of Gary. It is just north of U.S. 20 and U.S. 12. The Education Center provides classrooms for programs on environmental topics. Participation is usually during a schedule program for schools and local organizations.

Gallery

• Dunewood Campground Entrance

• Calumet Dunes Interpretive Center

• Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center

• Bailly-Chellberg Contact Station

• Pavilion at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk.

• West Beach Bathhouse

• Douglas Center for Environmental Education

• Skyline of Chicago from West Beach