Dates we visited: July 1st, 2021
Where we stayed: Cassidy Motel & RV

On the banks of Lake Michigan, not far from Chicago, lies Indiana Dunes National Park. Similar to its neighbor a few hundred miles to the East (Cuyahoga Valley), Indiana Dunes is an oasis in an urban setting. Originally reserved as the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 1966, these dunes were just upgraded and renamed to a National Park in December 2019. The sand dunes here didn’t evoke quite the same level of excitement and wonder as White Sands National Park, but it’s sandy setting on the banks of giant Lake Michigan is inspiring in it’s own way.

Mount Baldy

Of course, our first stop was at the Visitor Center to pick up Junior Ranger materials for Owen. After that we headed over to Mount Baldy. Mount Baldy is a large Dune that slopes down to a Lake Michigan beach. The trail up Mount Baldy itself was closed, so we decided to head over to the beach. A short hike through the tranquil woods quickly gave way to trudging through the sand. Owen was thrilled with the steep hike, and subsequent roll down the dune to reach beach-level. We explored the waterfront for awhile, and got in some good exercise by climbing up, down, and all around the steep dunes.

Riverwalk

After Mount Baldy, we drove west through the park along the waterfront to reach the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk. This was an unusual drive. The park is segmented into a few different sections, that are separated by private and commercial properties. To reach the Riverwalk, we drove past a heavily industrialized area, which we later learned was a US Steel plant. It wasn’t exactly the picturesque, untouched land that we often see in National Parks, but it made us that much more grateful for the sections of lakefront that have been protected. We walked along the shore, and then took the trail out to the end of a pier. We were surprised by the size of the waves on the lake, and Owen delighted in the spray kicked up as the waves crashed against the breakwater.

Indiana Dunes is a welcome respite in an industrialized area. It doesn’t have the the same obvious natural splendor as some of the other parks in the NPS system, but it offers something maybe more valuable, perspective. As we paused at the end of the pier at the Portage Lakefront, waves crashing and spray misting us, we were able to observe a protected sandy beach as well as an industrial steel manufacturing plant. It was a stark reminder that all the benefits of our industrial progress come with a price. Balancing progress with preservation has never been more difficult, or more important.