Indiana Dunes National Park
Managed by National Park Service
1,091 acres4.9 mi of trail
Cowles Bog TrailGreenbelt Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Dune Acres
More than half of Dune Acres’ land is conserved: 59%
59% of Dune Acres’ land is conserved, about 796 acres. The biggest trail networks: Indiana Dunes National Park (4.9 mi). 746 acres are parks and preserves, 2,546 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
59%
796 acres · of 2.1 sq mi of land
Trails
5.3 mi
2.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
746 ac
2,546 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.4 mi
0.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
4 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Dune Acres?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Indiana Dunes National Park, with 4.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cowles Bog National Natural Landmark
Managed by National Park Service
55 acres0.2 mi of trail
Cowles Bog Trail
Dogs usually limited
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
796 conserved acres
59% of Dune Acres’ land. Water is left out: Dune Acres has 2.1 square miles of land and 1.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Dune Acres’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service795 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land57 ac
National Park · 738 acConservation Easement · 114 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 58 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Dunes National Park National Park | National Park Service | 738 | Open |
Things to do
9 places to go in Dune Acres
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Dune Acres
Bailly BeachIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsDune Acres BeachIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsEast BeachIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsRidge BeachIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsPeaks in Dune Acres
Mount BentleyIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsMount Leman
DirectionsMount Tim
DirectionsMount TuthillIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsPetingill Dune
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.9 miUnpaved · 4.3 mi
Cowles Bog Trail3.3 mi
Greenbelt Trail0.9 mi
Heenan0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
4Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Dune Acres: July to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 36 | 47 | 58 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 81 | 75 | 63 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Dune Acres →
Next door
Dune Acres and its neighbors
Dune Acres has the second most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dune Acres | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Porter | 30% | 1.5 | 229 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Burns Harbor | 9% | 0.2 | 162 | 85% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dune Acres
Where can I hike in Dune Acres?
The longest trail networks: Indiana Dunes National Park, 4.9 miles; Cowles Bog National Natural Landmark, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Dune Acres’ trails?
Indiana Dunes National Park and Cowles Bog National Natural Landmark don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Dune Acres?
0.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Dune Acres?
14,971 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dune Acres or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 746 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Dune Acres neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →