Dune Ridge Trail
in Indiana · centroid 35 mi from Chicago
Dune Ridge Trail 0.7 miles, 73 feet of elevation gain, 4% average grade, 11% maximum grade Hike time: 30 minutes The Dune Ridge Trail offers great views of the extensive wetlands and forests south of this tall, forested dune. The different habitats you'll see along the trail help make Indiana Dunes National Park one of the top most biologically diverse of all the national parks. The featured hike is a lollipop shaped trail.
From the parking lot trailhead, head south with a short tour through a foredune complex on sandy soil. It transitions into an oak savanna with a more stable soil structure, which provides better footing. At the junction with the loop trail, turn left to hike the loop in the clockwise direction.
The loop starts on an old roadbed and you will need to turn right to leave the wide road onto single track. The trail will climb to the top of the dune offering sweeping views of the Great Marsh. Follow the trail along the ridge line before hiking down a steep section of loose sand.
- States
- Indiana
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Chicago, IL · 35 mi · ~1.0 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 41.6774°, -87.0089°
About Indiana Dunes National Park
This trail is inside Indiana Dunes National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $20 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/dune-ridge-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Dune Ridge Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Great Marsh Trail (North)
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Calumet Dunes Trail
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Glenwood Dunes Trail (Alternate)
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Great Marsh Trail (South)
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Glenwood Dunes Trail (Main)
2 miles from this trail's centroid
DLT n - Howe Rd to Broadway
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.