Indiana Dunes State Park: Campground/Mt. Tom/Beach Loop (Blog Hike #1027)

Trails: Beach Trail and Trail #4
Hike Location: Indiana Dunes State Park
Geographic Location: north of Chesterton, IN (41.66038, -87.06283)
Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: 7/10 (Moderate/Difficult)
Date Hiked: September 2024
Overview: A short but steep loop over Mount Tom and along Lake Michigan.
Park Information: https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/parks-lakes/indiana-dunes-state-park/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=972595
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming September 19, 2025)

Directions to the trailhead: In northwest Indiana, take I-94 to SR 49 (exit 26B).  Exit and go north on SR 49, which deadends at the park entrance.  Pay the entrance fee and drive to the main beach parking lot, where this hike begins.

The hike: Towering over the southern tip of Lake Michigan, the Indiana Dunes comprise over 17,000 acres of sand dunes.  The dunes were created when wind off of Lake Michigan deposited sand on previously existing dunes, trees, or whatever it contacted.  The wind created an amazing patchwork of bare sand and forested areas, tall dunes and low swales.

            The dunes have shifted over the years, and the scenery you see today is a complex result of all of those shifts.  When Lake Michigan retreated after the last Ice Age, sand become deposited further north on the new dry land.  The older more southern dunes became vegetated, and later the dunes shifted and covered up the vegetation.  In some places the dunes have shifted again to uncover the trees, thus revealing "tree skeletons" in deep swales called blowouts.

            Indiana Dunes State Park was established in 1925 as Indiana's 4th state park, but it comprises only 2182 acres of the Indiana Dunes: the rest is protected by the National Park Service as adjacent Indiana Dunes National Park.  The state park offers a pavilion and beach on Lake Michigan, a 140-site developed campground, a nature center, some picnic shelters, and 16 miles of hiking trails that explore the dunes.  The park's most famous hike is its Three Dunes Challenge, which involves climbing the park's three tallest dunes.  Fearing I might be too old and fat for the Three Dunes Challenge, I chose to take the "One Dune Challenge" by hiking a loop to the top of Mount Tom, this park's tallest dune, and then returning with a Lake Michigan beach walk.  I enjoyed this hike, and it provides a taste of dunes hiking without pegging the distance or difficulty meters.

Start of Beach Trail at beach parking lot

            Start at the inland (southeast) corner of the parking lot and pick up the Beach Trail as it heads east on a plastic boardwalk.  Take a minute to read an historical marker about the Battle of Le Petit Fort, a minor Revolutionary War battle that occurred here on December 5, 1780.  A band of about 30 Patriots led by Lieutenant Tom Brady was being chased westward by a British detachment until they chose to make a stand in these dunes.  The stand did not go well for the Patriots: 4 were killed, 2 were wounded, and 7 were taken prisoner.  Thus, these dunes have interesting human history as well as stunning natural scenery.

Beach Trail boardwalk

            The boardwalk heads east along the inland side of the dunes through a wetland formed by Dunes Creek.  The wetland is sufficiently lush and green that I could hear more birds and wildlife than I could see.  At the east end of the boardwalk, the Beach Trail continues east/southeast on a fairly level dirt/gravel track.

Start of Trail #4

            The Beach Trail's main function is to connect the beach to the campground, and at 0.4 miles you reach the campground at the trail's east end.  To continue this hike, angle left and walk east first on the campground road and then through a small picnic area.  Just past 0.5 miles, you reach the start of Trail #4, which is marked by a black wooden post.  Turn left to begin Trail #4.

Climbing on Trail #4

            Trail #4 is our route over Mount Tom to the beach, and it starts as a gradual climb on a sandy dirt path.  As you climb the dune, the grade gets steeper, and the sand gets softer.  Thus, the going gets harder.  When you reach the start of the wooden stairs, you have begun the final push to the summit.

Stairs near top of Mount Tom

            At 0.8 miles, you reach the summit of Mount Tom.  Mount Tom is the tallest dune at Indiana Dunes, and it is named for Revolutionary War American Lieutenant Tom Brady, who I mentioned earlier.  You can see the Chicago skyline from here on a clear day, and you can also see the steel mills of East Chicago and the power plants of Michigan City.  Despite the development, the view from this dune is stupendous with plenty of green trees and the blue lake, so take some time to sit on the bench, rest from your climb, and see what you can see.

View from Mount Tom

            Continue east on Trail #4 as it descends some steep wooden stairs.  At the base of the stairs, you reach a trail intersection at a saddle in the dunes.  Trail #8 goes straight to head for Mount Holden, another large sand dune.  This hike turns left to remain on Trail #4 and head for the Lake Michigan beach.

Approaching Lake Michigan

            The somewhat narrow trail descends on a soft sandy track through dense, brushy forest.  After a brief climb to top the lakeside dune, Trail #7 enters from the right as Lake Michigan comes into view.  At this point the lake is well below you, and a steep sandy slide brings you down to the beach.  Turn left to begin the beach walk.

Hiking along Lake Michigan

            This beach walk is as spectacular as any along Lake Michigan.  The wild and scenic dunes rise to the left, and a constant breeze blows off of the lake.  Chicago is a major freight center, and I saw several barges on the lake heading to or from port.  I also saw numerous gulls, ducks, and Canada geese along the water.  At 1.4 miles, you approach the park's pavilion.  Angle left to return to the parking lot and complete the loop.