Indiana Dunes: Hiking up Devil’s Slide
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Indiana Dunes is a gorgeous escape located just under an hour from the hustle and bustle of Chicago. The soft, white sand beaches are so beautiful with the iconic sand dunes and incredible views of Lake Michigan (and even The Windy City skyline on a clear day). The National park features 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and over 50 miles of trails.
The state park features a range of easy-moderate trails and 3 miles of beautiful beaches surrounded by towering sand dunes. The 2 most popular summer swimming and sunbathing destinations are Indiana Dunes State Park Beach and West Beach located at the National Park. Basically, the Dunes is a great destination for beachgoers, hikers, and birdwatchers. One great short hike Mike and I checked out on our first visit was Devil’s Slide at the state park. This is a tough, but very scenic climb up a tall, steep sand dune.
Devil’s Slide Dune
If you want to really challenge yourself, you can embark upon the very steep climb up Devil’s Slide sand dune. This is a monster challenge even for a regular hiker and gym goer like myself, but I felt truly accomplished when I was done. While 100 feet may not seem like all that much, walking through sand is 100 times harder.
It will seem so much harder and longer to tredge up. Your feet and legs will feel so heavy as you make your way up. There are great views of Lake Michigan throughout and a fabulous view at the top. Going down is sometimes even more challenging as you need a lot of control due to prevent yourself from tumbling down.
Many visitors choose to sand slide down the hill in the summer. It’s also a very popular sledding location in the winter. I would love to come back and test it out! It would be really cool to go sledding with an awesome lake view in the background!
The climb up this dune starts at the state park. You can connect to the 3 Dunes Challenge (more on this later on) from here, but that would be a difficult & tiresome hike. If your visit falls during the hot summer season or you want to avoid any extra walking, I recommend starting at the nature center (trail number 8).
History of the Dunes
These magnificent dunes are not only beautiful, but also ancient. Basically they were formed from glaciers passing through the area over 14,000 years ago. Today, some of the dunes almost top 200 feet. The national park includes 15,000 acres of varying habitat including dunes, swamps, bogs, oak savannas, marshes, rivers, forests, and prairies.
It is considered one of the most biologically diverse national parks with more than 1100 flowering plant species and 350 bird sighted here. You can read more about the history of the dunes for more details. If you have extra time, definitely sign up for a ranger led event at the visitor center.
Indiana Dunes State Beach
The state park beach is great for swimming & sunbathing and the views are gorgeous. There is a huge parking lot, a beach cafe, picnicking areas, changing areas, and easy access to trails.
The sand at the beaches is so soft and smooth thanks to the presence of silica and and quartz left by the glaciers. Stepping onto to the powdery white sand, I am almost reminded of being on one of Florida’s Gulf Coast beaches (like beautiful Siesta Key where the sand is also made of quartz). It’s hard to believe you are in Indiana!
I have fond memories of visiting Indiana Dunes occasionally while growing up in Chicago. We didn’t make it out here that often, but I sure remembered the beautiful sands. It was nice to come back after 30 long years! I can’t wait to return soon and complete that 3 Dunes Challenge. As an avid fitness buff, it is definitely on my list!
The 3 Dunes Challenge
Update: Mike and I returned to the state park for the 3 Dunes Challenge in summer of 2025. We lucked out as the weather was cloudy and a comfortable 75 degrees with relatively low humidity. Despite the cooler conditions, the hike was still tough, but we really enjoyed the beautiful views of Lake Michigan and most of all the challenge. You can read more about our experience climbing the highest dunes in the park.
I recommend all adventurous types to add this climb to your bucket list. It involves a tough trek up the park’s 3 tallest dunes: Mount Tom (192 ft), Mount Holden (184 ft) and Mount Jackson (176 ft). These dunes are connected via trail #8, a steep 1.5 mile hike.
The trek involves 552 foot of elevation gain, so you will get in a great workout. Fortunately, fabulous views of lake Michigan and even the Chicago skyline will keep you motivated to continue on. Once you complete the challenge, you can pick up a free sticker or car decal at the visitor center to commemorate your accomplishment.
For those not up for a huge challenge, there are several miles of easy and moderate trails. We hiked trails 3, 4, and 7 which are considered the easiest routes. A few views from various park trails:
State Park location, pricing, & additional info
The visitor center is located at: 1215 N State Rd 49, Porter, IN 46304. I recommend starting here. Hours are: 8:30am-4:30pm (summer hours are 8am-6pm). You can pick up a trail map, learn more about the parks, talk to staff, get your national park book stamped, and more.
Fees: $7 in state, $12 out of state.
Accessibility features: Trail 8 features a boardwalk section which is great for birdwatching (Park at Wilson Shelter). Also, the nature center provides all terrain chairs from Memorial-Labor Day.
Notes: Dogs are not allowed on the beach.
Tip: Hiking is best suited for the cooler spring or fall months.
Lifeguards: The beach is open year-round. Lifeguards operate from Memorial-Labor Day, 11am-6pm.
Dining & Concessions: Pavillion Beach Cafe
What else to do?
I also recommend visiting Indiana Dunes National Park. While it stinks to pay another admission fee ($25), your pass is good for 7 days. There are several beautiful beaches here and 50+ miles of trails. I loved hiking the Diana’s Dare challenge and swimming at West Beach. You might as well check another national park off your bucket list while you are in the area. The Dunes is one of the country’s newer national park (it opened in 2019).
If you are up for a drive, there is an Original Rainbow Cone shop just 30 minutes away in Dyer, IN. If you have ever vacationed to Chicago in the summer, you have probably tried one of these iconic 5 flavored ice cream cones at one point or another. Yes, it’s worth the drive.
If you have extra time, this is the best time of the year to check out the city as a tourist. Chicago is an easy daytrip from northwest Indiana. As a resident for over 20 years, you will find plenty of fun things to do in the Windy City in my detailed guide.
Where to stay?
I recommend Spring House Inn which is located within an easy drive to both the state and national park. This property is surrounded by woods. I love the natural setting – there are so many trees. Also, there are outdoor firepits, swing chairs, and each room has a patio facing the woods. There is a complimentary breakfast (just so-so in quality, but convenient) and an Uno’s pizzeria within walking distance. This was a great budget friendly stay – we will definitely stay here again!
