Indiana Dunes NP

Sand and Solitude: 

Indiana Dunes National Park hugs 15 miles of the southern shore of Lake Michigan and has much to offer. Whether you enjoy scouting for rare species of birds or flying kites on the sandy beach, the national park's 15,000 acres will continually enchant you.  Hikers will enjoy 50 miles of trails over rugged dunes, mysterious wetlands, sunny prairies, meandering rivers and peaceful forests.

 May 9, 2026

We made a return trip so Daisy could get her BARK Ranger tag. We stopped at the Visitor Center to pick up her tag and pamphlet. They have made major improvements since our last visit in 2019. We then headed to West Beach to let Daisy have a beach day and a good romp in lake Michigan. 

July 22, 2019

Got to take in this new National Park, the last time I was here it was only a National Lakeshore. We started at the Visitor Center and saw the movie then took in the displays that we thought was far less than expected of a National Park. We decide our best approach was to start in the South end of the park, so we headed to West Beach. We took in West Beach with a hike down to the Lakeshore. We headed North and made stops along the way to see the Century of progress Homes, these houses were built for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair to demonstrate modern architectural design, experimental materials, and new technologies. It was then on to Mount Baldy Beach and the star of the park, Mount Baldy. While you cannot climb it anymore, we did walk around it to the beach. This is a great Park to take in and we still have a few areas to see so we will be back. 

May 5, 2012

This was a Solo trip for me as the wife and dogs had already headed home. Walked the dunes and enjoyed an afternoon at the beach.

Click here for photos of our visit 2019

Click here for photos of our visit 2026

NPS Website

Our 72nd NPS Unit and 20th National Park

                                    

Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home NM

 

A Civil Rights Partnership

Medgar and Myrlie Evers were partners in the civil rights struggle. The assassination of Medgar Evers in the carport of their home on June 12, 1963, was the first murder of a nationally significant leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, and it became a catalyst for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Myrlie Evers continues to promote issues of racial equality and social justice. 

7 Feb 2026

This site is a relatively new unit established in 2020. The home was the site of the murder of Medgar Evers on June 11, 1963, and became one of the catalysts for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Seeing the home and taking a few moments to reflect on the events there only takes a short time, but none the less this is an important site to see to better understand one of many events that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Taking in the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in conjunction with a visit here will explain the events that led up to that fateful day in 1963. We spent less than an hour here. 

Click here for photos of our visit

NPS Website

Our 185th NPS Unit