Indiana Dunes State Park, Indiana

Land-locked beach lovers, rejoice: you can still have all your ol' favorite and familiar features and get your beach on at Indiana Dunes State Park. This huge 2,182-acre park includes over three miles of beach along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, where you can swim, fish, float, relax, work on your tan, and pretend that you are on a deserted island (minus the coconuts). If beaches don’t float your boat, you can admire the thousands-of-years-old sand dunes towering above the lake, almost 200 feet high. The dunes are home to many plant and animal species and there are seasonal birding and wildflower viewing opportunities. The park also has miles of trails to be explored on foot through dunes, mountains, and forests, with some amazing views of the dunes and lake. If summer passed you by before you knew it, don’t despair, there are also cross-country ski trails in the winter—just be sure to get your gear elsewhere because there are no ski rentals here. So, you have no excuse to not get outdoors at any and every time of year at Indiana Dunes State Park.