Other major parks with Lake Michigan beaches in Indiana and southwestern Michigan charge admission during the summer, and Michigan state parks require a “paid state passport” year-round, while some small beaches in the municipality do not charge. Another 20% would go to a fund shared by national parks that have no quota, a fund that has benefited Indiana Dunes until now. The fee only affects the national park and does not change the fee charged by the state to enter Indiana Dunes State Park. Special Golden Hoosier Permit Cases Indiana residents who are former prisoners of war or their surviving spouses are entitled to a free Indiana Golden Hoosier permit.
The park also surrounds the separately managed Indiana Dunes State Park, whose separate fee structure will not change. This new fee only affects the national park and does not change the fee charged by the state to enter Indiana Dunes State Park. Indiana Dunes passes will be sold at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, Indiana 49, just outside the park in Porter, and at the Paul H. Indiana park.
Park residents who are eligible for a DAV1 or DAV2 license plate can purchase an Indiana Golden Hoosier permit regardless of age. However, the challenge for Indiana Dunes is how its 15,000 acres are scattered along 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline with multiple entry points. This applies to all state parks and state-managed lakes, except for the Falls of the Ohio State Park Interpretation Center and the Indiana Dunes and Prophetstown State Parks (see below). Like any community, Indiana Dunes National Park must ensure that trails, beaches, historic sites, public buildings and everything else within the park are kept vibrant, clean, and well maintained.
Indiana Dunes National Park will begin charging an entrance fee Thursday for all visitors, with discounts available for seniors. Passes will be on sale at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, the Paul H Douglas Center and, seasonally, at the West Beach entrance station or online at www. Indiana's federal dune area has undergone a lot of changes since it became a National Park, and the park has plans to make sure that doesn't end soon. Don't forget to “leave no trace” when you visit the Indiana dunes and take everything you bring with you when you leave.