Indiana Dunes State Park - June 16, 2008

 

Indiana Dunes State Park, established in 1925, encompasses 2,182 acres at the southern tip of Lake Michigan and includes dunes and wetlands accessible by several miles of hiking trails, and approximately 3 miles of sand beaches.

 

When I took these photos temperatures were in the high sixties to low seventies with brisk wind, so there wasn't a lot of beach activity. The air was clear, though, and the sun was bright and the lake was beautiful.

 

 

 

To prevent the further loss of vanishing rare habitat to thirsty heavy industries like power plants, steel mills and refineries, the U.S. Congress in 1966 approved the designation of a large tract of land adjacent to the state park as Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

 

 

Parents were admonishing these children, "Don't get sand in your hair!" Hah!

The industry in the background with the tall smokestack is the coal-fired NIPSCO (Northern Indiana Public Service Company) power plant at Michigan City.

 

 

The state park bathhouse houses restrooms, changing rooms, showers and space for the lifeguards, and on the second floor, a cafeteria. The building was built in 1929 and is well maintained. The space in the foreground was once occupied by a later hotel that was removed in the 1970s.

 

 

Views from the second-floor stairwells.

 

 

 

 

 

Over the past couple of years Indiana has invested heavily in the park, reconfiguring the entrance, updating the campground and generally overhauling the infrastructure. At the point where I took this photo there used to be a big cylindrical water tank with an observation platform on top that gave magnificent views. I was disappointed on this visit to find the water tank ..., well, to not find the water tank.

 

 

Porter Beach is just west of the state park beach. The beach here is public, but all the surrounding property is private and there are plenty of signs to let you know. The summer homes cover a pretty wide range, and some of the properties look like somebody is waiting for the right offer for the building site.

 

 

 

 

 

A few years ago this place housed a concession stand. It doesn't look habitable now, but I could see a light on inside. The building type looks like an old-fashioned beach resort hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brings back some memories.  I can remember riding my bike from Valpo University during the college days up to this park in Chesterton, In.  I believe it was straight up Highway 41 or 49.  Yes, a freeway, and we would ride on the shoulder.  I remember we would hit on the girls at the beach by asking them if they had a light for our ciggerettes.  I later realized that was a real chessy way to hit on girls and it also left me with an empty pack of smokes and some bad lungs for the ride back.  Great shots Rob!

Excellent!

excellent set.

 

oh how i wish edgewater park in cleveland had a bathhouse like that to work with.

This place reminds me of the Jersey shore for some reason.

Thanks!

This place reminds me of the Jersey shore for some reason.

 

I'm not familiar with the Jersey Shore, but I once spent my summers at the Southern Delaware and Maryland beaches, from Lewes down to Ocean City. It's sort of similar in appearance to some of those, but except during storms it rarely has waves of any size and it lacks the saltwater smell that's one of the things I love about the Atlantic beaches.

What a great asset for Indiana!  Thanks for sharing.

I stopped by here on the way back from Chicago a few months ago. Will probably go back later this summer.

Very beautiful. It is a shame those cottages were left to decay.

According to Lonely Planet this is a great beach, one of the best they said, if I'm correct. The states in the Great Lakes region are always full of surprises like these.

That bath house is really nice.

 

Great light with these shots, looks so clean and fresh (and, from experience swimming in the lake, cold)