Mt. Baldy Beach Trail
in Indiana · centroid 38 mi from Chicago
Mount Baldy Beach Trail 0.75 miles, 75 feet of elevation gain, 4% average grade, 13% maximum grade Hike time: 1 hour The Beach Trail hike (unrestricted access) is short hike with a steep climb down loose sand to the beach. Be sure to plan accordingly as the only way out is up the steep trail. Do not bring large cooler and other beach items as the climb up from the beach is difficult.
The featured hike is an out and back trail. Starting at the parking lot trail head, Hike to the staircase along the entrance road. At the top of the stairs the trail will turn right and go around the west side of Mount Baldy.
At the trail junction, stay straight and follow the trail to the edge of the dune. Enjoys the sweeping views of Lake Michigan. The trail down to the beach is a scramble down loose sand. Please make sure that you able to climb back up as it is the only way out.
- States
- Indiana
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Chicago, IL · 38 mi · ~1.1 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 41.7069°, -86.9297°
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/mt-baldy-beach-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 Mt. Baldy Beach 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
DLT p - Broadway to Mt. Baldy
2 miles from this trail's centroid
DLT q - Mt. Baldy to Long Beach
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Great Marsh Trail (North)
4 miles from this trail's centroid
Great Marsh Trail (South)
4 miles from this trail's centroid
Dune Ridge Trail
5 miles from this trail's centroid
Calumet Dunes Trail
5 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.