Newest National Park

Designated in 2019, Indiana Dunes National Park is the newest US national park.

Only 71 miles from where we had our new Air Conditioner installed at Truma in Elkhart, it sounded like a place we should explore.

Dunewood Campground has 66 sites arranged in two loops. Although there are no hook-ups, it is a bargain at $25 per night ($12.50 for senior pass holders).

Campsites were nicely shaded with plenty of space between them.

If you need a campsite with electricity, check out the nearby Indiana Dunes State Park Campground.

Just across the main road from the campground, Beverly Shores Train Depot is now a local art gallery.

If you want to visit Chicago, taking the train avoids the hassle of finding downtown parking. At the time we visited, a second track and platform were under construction to increase the passenger service. Tickets were $10 each way or $5 for those 65 and older.

Yes, you will hear trains from the campground.

We decided to explore the park by bike. Riding due north took us past the depot to this sandy beach on Lake Michigan.

Continuing just a little bit west along the shoreline brought us to the “Century of Progress” Historic District. Here, homes displayed at the 1935 Chicago World’s Fair are preserved.

This is the Cypress Log Cabin.

The Armco-Ferro house is undergoing restoration.

All of the homes are leased to individuals who maintain and restore the homes to original condition.

Contact the park for a schedule of days when the homes are open to the public.

Four of the five homes here were floated across Lake Michigan from Chicago after the fair ended.

The Weebolt-Rostone house has a tremendous view of Lake Michigan. Rostone is the name of the panels that were billed as “never needing repairs.” Unfortunately, the panels couldn’t hold up to the environment and have been covered with perma-stone concrete.

The Florida Tropical house is pretty, but doesn’t have a roof optimized for Indiana snowstorms.

The homes demonstrated new construction methods and modern technologies, such as central air conditioning and dishwashers.

Heading back towards the campground we rode the Bog Trail where birds, turtles, and frogs are the attractions rather than inovative homes.

Wetlands behind the dunes are very different from the shoreline.

Our bike route from the campground.

Steel and power plants separate eastern and western sections of the National Park. We drove to the western beach where a small lighthouse alerts boaters to the breakwater.

A large, modern bathhouse and restaurant were closed due to Covid-19.

The beach was open and uncrowded at the end of June.

And yes, there really are dunes.

With clear skies and only a little haze, we could see the Chicago skyline around the corner of the big lake.

This was a fun park to explore. I’m grateful to those with the forethought to preserve a natural area along the very industrial southern Lake Michigan shoreline.

2022-06-29

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