The second park of this trip – and the one I got to do with Abby. I had done a little bit of research about this national park and had read bout the 3 Dunes Challenge. This hike is technically in the state park portion BUT Abby and I liked to think of it as a national park complex. Just like Redwoods! After getting some advice from our local ranger, we hit the trails.
The fall foliage was stunning the entire time we were hiking! Yellows, golds, reds and oranges.
Now we have to give these dunes credit where credit is due. This hike was the most rigorous one available in the park – but its Indiana right? Turns out it was decently challenging. Not only do you have the whole two steps forward, one step back like most sand hikes, but the dunes were also VERY steep! The second dune really burns the calves!!
Luckily dune #3 had stairs – far more enjoyable!!
This dune certainly had the best views. You could see some sprawling views of Indiana along with Lake Michigan from the top!
Once we finished the hike we decided to have a competition to see who had the most sand in their shoes. Its obvious who won 🙂 Abby claims I played tricks with the camera angle – but I wouldn’t play dirty would I??
Our last stop was the west beach. The water color was beautiful! It was an effort to grab a picture without people in it. Despite the fact that it was 60 degrees, there were still people with beach chairs laying out in their swim suits. Further down the beach we also saw a family who was swimming!! The water was frigid, I still have no idea how they were able to stand it.
Overall this was a fun park. Just a short drive from the Chicago area, so I imagine in the summer it gets packed! Worth a visit if its on your way 🙂
Kelsey's Climb to 59 (+4) 