Indiana Dunes National Park
Miller Beach is where Indiana Dunes National Park begins.
Surrounded by 2,500 acres of protected dunes, oak savannas, and wetlands, this is the westernmost and most accessible entry point to one of America's great national parks — just 35 miles from the Chicago Loop.
Indiana Dunes National Park
15,000 acres of protected land
15 miles of Lake Michigan beaches
50 miles of hike and bike trails
2,500 acres surrounding Miller Beach
1,000 acres of Miller Woods — globally rare dune and swale ecosystem
Field Museum of Chicago dedicated a field guide exclusively to Miller Woods
by the numbers
What to Do Here
Hike Miller Woods
The national park was dedicated here for a reason. The Paul H. Douglas Trail takes you through every ecosystem the park has to offer — oak savanna, wetlands, coastal dunes — before arriving at Miller Woods Beach, the westernmost NPS beach on Lake Michigan. Ranger Kip Walton calls it the most complete dunes experience in the park. [Watch his tour here.]
Visit the Douglas Nature Center
Your gateway to Miller Woods and the perfect place to start your visit. Explore hands-on exhibits, meet live animals including snakes, frogs, and turtles, pick up your Junior Ranger badge, get your National Parks passport stamped, and talk to a ranger about what to see. In winter, free cross-country ski and snowshoe equipment is available on a first-come first-served basis.
Open Wednesday–Sunday, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and select holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Veterans Day, and New Year's Day. Hours subject to change — [check current hours at nps.gov]
Download the Field Museum Field Guide
The Field Museum of Chicago created a dedicated field guide specifically for Miller Woods — the only field guide of its kind in Indiana Dunes National Park.
Written by Susan Kirt of Valparaiso University, it takes you through the seasons at Miller Woods, introducing the plants, fungi, animals, and globally rare ecosystems you'll encounter on the trail.
From spring wildflowers to winter woodpeckers, it's the essential companion for your visit. Free to download.
Download the Miller Beach Trail Map
Our Miller Beach Hike & Bike Map shows you everything within the 1.5 mile span connecting Miller Station, the Douglas Nature Center, downtown Miller Beach, and the Lake Michigan beach.
Use it to plan your route whether you're arriving by car or hopping off the South Shore train. The map also shows the Lake Street bike path, beach parking, and connections to the Marquette Greenway Trail. Free to download.
Miller Woods in Every Season
Summer Hike the three mile round trip to Lake Michigan through black oak savanna and past the Calumet Lagoon. Watch for monarch butterflies, fireflies on summer evenings, and — surprisingly — wild prickly pear cactus growing in the dunes. Ranger-guided summer hikes and family programs run throughout the season at the Douglas Nature Center.
Spring The Paul H. Douglas Trail becomes a carpet of wildflowers — blue lupine, hoary puccoon, spiderwort, and dozens of other species bloom alongside hundreds of migrating birds. Spring is considered one of the best wildflower walks in Indiana Dunes National Park.
Fall Black oak leaves turn red while late-flowering goldenrod and asters fill the trail with color through October. One of the most overlooked fall hikes in the Chicago region, with far fewer crowds than summer.
Winter Free cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals are available at the Douglas Nature Center on a first-come first-served basis. Winter is the best time to see the dune and swale topography — the landscape opens up completely when the leaves are down, revealing the rolling dunes and frozen wetlands beneath.
Plan Your Visit
Getting Here
Miller Beach is the easiest way into Indiana Dunes National Park. By train, take the South Shore Line from Chicago's Millennium Station directly to Miller Station — steps from the Douglas Nature Center and downtown. Bring your bike on the train and ride directly to the trails and beach. By car, take I-90 to the Ripley exit, head north on Highway 12/20, then right on Lake Street. The beach, trails, nature center, and downtown are all within a 1.5 mile span. [Get full directions →]
2026 Entrance Fees
The Paul H. Douglas Nature Center is free to visit. Entrance fees apply to the national park's beach areas and parking lots.
As of May 30, 2026:
Private vehicle: $25 (7-day pass)
Motorcycle: $20
Per person on foot or bike (16+): $15
Children under 16: Free
Annual park pass: $45
America the Beautiful pass: accepted
Fees are subject to change. [Check current fees at nps.gov]
Indiana Dunes Frequently Asked Questions
-
Indiana Dunes National Park is the closest national park to Chicago, just 35 miles from the Loop. Miller Beach in Gary, Indiana is the westernmost entry point to the park and the easiest to reach by car or South Shore train.
-
Yes — the South Shore Line from Chicago's Millennium Station stops at Miller Station in Miller Beach, steps from the Douglas Nature Center and the park entrance. Bring your bike on the train and ride directly to the beach and trails.
-
As of May 30, 2026, a standard vehicle pass is $25 for 7 days. Per-person entry for cyclists and pedestrians 16 and over is $15. Children under 16 enter free. America the Beautiful passes are accepted. Fees are subject to change — check nps.gov/indu for current pricing.
-
Yes — the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is free to enter. No admission fee for the building, exhibits, Nature Play Zone, or ranger programs. Entrance fees apply to the national park's beach areas and parking lots.
-
Yes — remaining 2026 free entrance days include July 3–5, August 25, September 17, and November 11. Check nps.gov for the complete list.
-
It depends where you park. Parking at Miller Woods and the Douglas Nature Center is free. Lake Street Beach parking is paid and managed by the City of Gary. West Beach parking is paid and managed by the National Park Service. Arriving by South Shore train to Miller Station is a great alternative — you avoid parking fees entirely, and the nature center, trails, and beach are all within walking or biking distance of the station.
-
Miller Woods is the section of Indiana Dunes National Park where the park was originally dedicated. It contains the only globally rare dune and swale topography in the park, the finest black oak savanna in Indiana, and the Paul H. Douglas Trail to Lake Michigan. The Field Museum of Chicago created a dedicated field guide for Miller Woods because of its ecological significance.
-
The Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is the western visitor center for Indiana Dunes National Park, located at the entrance to Miller Woods in Miller Beach. It offers ranger-led programs, live animals, hands-on exhibits, a Nature Play Zone for kids, and free winter equipment rental. Free to enter.
-
Miller Beach is a neighborhood in Gary, Indiana surrounded by Indiana Dunes National Park on three sides. It is the westernmost entry point to the park, with direct South Shore train access, a historic downtown with local restaurants and shops, and 3.5 miles of Lake Michigan beaches including Miller Woods Beach — the westernmost NPS beach.
-
They are adjacent but separate parks with separate fees and passes. Indiana Dunes National Park is federally managed by the National Park Service. Indiana Dunes State Park is managed by the State of Indiana. Passes for one are not accepted at the other.
-
Yes — Miller Beach offers beaches, the Nature Play Zone at the Douglas Nature Center, Junior Ranger programs, easy flat trails, and a downtown with restaurants all steps from the park. The South Shore train makes it car-free friendly, and children under 16 enter the national park free.
-
Leashed dogs are welcome on the trails and in most areas of the park. Check nps.gov/indu for specific pet policies by area.
-
Miller Beach's historic downtown on Lake Street has local restaurants, cafes, and shops within walking distance of the park entrance and Miller Station. [Explore Local Businesses→]
-
Yes — download the Miller Beach Hike & Bike Map showing all trails, the Douglas Nature Center, downtown Miller Beach, and the beach — all within a 1.5 mile span. [Download PDF.]
-
The Paul H. Douglas Trail is the main trail through Miller Woods in Indiana Dunes National Park. It offers shorter loop options or a three mile round trip hike to Lake Michigan, passing through black oak savanna, wetlands, the Calumet Lagoon, and coastal dunes. It is the only place in the national park to see globally rare dune and swale topography.
The entrance to the Douglas Nature Center has stairs down to a hiking trail but also has a wheelchair friendly trail from another door.
Hikers in early June on the Miller Woods Trail is a perfect example of a fun ranger led hike suitable for all ages.
Want to try snowshoeing? No worries, the Douglas Nature Center has free loaners, and cross country skis, too!.
Hiking is Fun in Any Season on the Miller Woods Trail.
An outdoor kids area includes another picnic area and drinking fountains.
A National Park Service Ranger prepares a testing activity area for kids visiting the Douglas Nature Center. Tanks along the walls inside the Center contain local turtles, snakes, fish, and reptiles for observation.
The picnic area on the deck outside the Douglas Center overlooks trails, forest, and a wetland. Great place to stop and refresh. Two other picnic areas are available on the trail.
Exhibits inside the Douglas Nature Center explain the history of early area residents and the fight to save the dunes. The center is named after Paul H. Douglas, an Illinois senator who fought to preserve the park.
Lake fog appears when the air temperature is significantly different from the water temperature of Lake Michigan.
A winter scene in the Indiana Dunes National Park. Marram grass peeks through snow.
Miller Woods Beach is a calm and peaceful spot to swim or enjoy the Chicago skyline view.
The Miller Woods Trail behind the Douglas Center accommodates wheel chairs and strollers. It has a lovely picnic area under a forest of giant oak trees. Each section has its own grill!
Millions of lupines and hoary puccoon bloom en masse along the sandy hike to the beach. It's a stunning experience every May!
Stunning Miller Woods Beach has shallow walk in waters and a stunning view of the Chicago skyline!
The Douglas Nature Center is at the north end of downtown Miller Beach. Its parking is accessed via a pedestrian bridge that is wheelchair and stroller friendly. The Douglas Center is a 20 minute walk from the South Shore Miller station.