Dune Succession Trail in Indiana Dunes with Kids
It’s a funny world right now. It’s summer, but not everything is open yet. It’s warm, your kids are home, but the playgrounds are closed and the festivals are cancelled. What’s a desperate parent to do? Thankfully, Indiana is chock full of some of the best outdoor activities in the Midwest, thanks in part to Indiana Dunes National Park.
This week, we rounded up our family to head to Dune Succession Trail, located at West Beach. With the family in tow, includnig a 5 year old, 12 year old, and 18 year old, we weren’t sure how well the hike would go, especially for the littlest one. Here’s what we discovered…
A Kid-Friendly Hike
Known for the stunning views at the top of the Dune Succession Trail, we put on our comfy shoes, grabbed a bag full of gatorade, water, and SPF, and headed to 376 North County Line Road, Gary, IN 46403.
The kids, even the small one, did just fine. Yes, it’s a little bit of a workout, thanks to its 15% maximum grade and 81 feet of elevation gain. The hike is about .6 miles and took us about 20 minutes, one way. This scenic trail includes a climb up 270 stairs for a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan and Chicago when you finish the hike at its West Beach destination. (There is a parking fee of $6 for cars at the West Beach lot.)
To see the entire hike (including Gatorade breaks), watch our IGTV video below.
The trail ends at the beach where our kiddos enjoyed playing in the sand and sliding down the sand crests, despite the slightly chilly late-spring weather.
After spending some time on the beach, we headed back to the car which was parked at the West Beach Parking lot, very close to the start of the trail.
The smaller kids groaned a tiny bit about the difficulty of the hike because, let’s be honest, it required more effort than playing video games. So, post adventure, we stopped at longtime local favorite, Dog Depot for dogs + drinks.
Dog Depot is located at 5016 Melton Rd., Portage, Indiana. It’s on one of the main roads that leads to the park, just minutes away. Dog Depot is a bit of a local institution and Chicago Dogs for the crew were a well-received post-hike reward for the kids.
NOTE: Dog Depot accepts cash only. There is an ATM inside.
