We set out from home on Friday, June 17, 2022 a little after 10 a.m. following a couple of last minute light checks and some duct tape repair. The drive was short and we traveled along Lake Michigan (US 31) for a while. Indiana Dunes National Park is in the middle of the city of Porter, IN, and we drove city streets to get to different locations within the park. When we arrived at Dunewood Campground inside the park, it was mostly empty. No one was at the registration center, so we proceeded to our site, #1 in Mather Loop. Our campsite was well-shaded by oak trees, and the campground was peaceful and quiet. There was no electricity at the campground, so we used our generator at this location.

A stop at the Visitor’s Center proved to be helpful in getting information about a ranger-led hike that evening. The Center was small, but there were many other visitors and rangers there. I got my National Park stamp, and purchased a sticker. We returned to our site to hang out, walk the dogs, and just enjoy the campground.

At 5:00 p.m. we met Ranger Brittany at the base of Mt. Baldy, a 126 ft. tall sand dune. She had lots of information to share, like the fact that the dunes move to the SE an average of 7-10 FEET each year! The climb was not as long, nor as difficult as climbing Sleeping Bear Dunes, but still enough to get the heart pumping! At the top we could just see the skyline of Chicago off in the distance across Lake Michigan.

Back at our camp site we cooked burgers over the only campfire we had on our trip. We relaxed around the fire for a while, but were exhausted and headed to bed around 10. We had beautiful weather for our first day, and the park was quite picturesque. Although, it didn’t really compare to the splendor and beauty that we are spoiled with in Michigan!