#8 of 19 sights in Indiana Dunes
Beach · Indiana Dunes National Park
Picnic above the lake, with stairs down to the sand.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Indiana Dunes Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Indiana Dunes National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Lake View Beach: A Picnic Above the Sand“Lake View Beach is ahead, a good choice for a picnic with the lake spread out below you. Covered shelters and grills sit above the sand, and the upper picnic area is wheelchair accessible.”
Plays as you drive up to Lake View Beach in the Parkwolf Indiana Dunes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Lake View Beach is a sandy Lake Michigan beach and picnic area in Beverly Shores, with covered shelters set above the shore. It’s a useful stop for an easy lakeside picnic or a sunset; stairs connect the shelter area to the sand. The elevated lake view makes the picnic area worthwhile even if you stay above the beach.
The paved parking area, shelters and restrooms are wheelchair accessible and have a view of the lake. The beach itself isn’t wheelchair accessible: stairs lead down from the picnic area to the sand.
There’s no lifeguard. Waves, rip currents, uneven bottoms and deep drop-offs can make swimming hazardous, so check the park’s beach forecast and any posted water-quality warnings before going in.
Sunset is a popular time here. For a closer view, take the stairs down and frame the sun’s reflection across the water when conditions allow. The accessible upper area still gives you a clear lake view without descending to the beach.
Five Century of Progress homes stand about a third of a mile west along Lake Front Drive. They were displayed at Chicago’s 1933 World’s Fair before being moved to Beverly Shores; it’s an easy add-on if you’re interested in the fair’s architecture.
Smelt fishing is a spring activity at Lake View, and no permit is required. Stay on marked paths through the dunes and leave shells and rocks where you find them.
Wildlife
85 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
48 sightingsSandhill CraneMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
113 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
23 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
49 sightingsBeaverMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
13 sightingsBarred OwlMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Indiana Dunes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyGreat Marsh Accessible Trail0.2 mi · 15 min · 0.8 mi awayA short paved route to the marsh's bird-viewing deck.
EasyGreat Marsh Trail1.3 mi · 1 hr · 1 mi awayA flat marsh loop with an observation deck for birding.
ModerateDune Ridge Trail0.7 mi · 45 min · 1 mi awayA sandy 0.7-mile lollipop with a Great Marsh overlook.
EasyCalumet Dunes Trail0.6 mi · 20 min · 1.9 mi awayA quick paved loop on Lake Michigan's old shoreline
EasyDunewood Trace Campground Trail4.4 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.9 mi awayAn easy, sandy out-and-back to Dunewood Campground.
ModerateGlenwood Dunes Extension Trail5.7 mi · 3 hr · 2.9 mi awayA flat, sandy extension with a longer walk from the main lot.
ModerateMount Baldy Beach Trail0.8 mi · 1 hr · 3.7 mi awayA short walk ends in a steep scramble down to Lake Michigan.
EasyHeron Rookery Trail3.3 mi · 1.8 hr · 4.7 mi awayBest in spring, when woodland flowers brighten the river trail.
Historic marker · 0.1 mi awayStephen Mather Memorial PlaqueA quick stop for the dunes' conservation story.
Sight · 0.4 mi awayCentury of Progress HomesFive 1933 fair homes show five different ideas of modern living.
Beach · 0.4 mi awayDunbar BeachA sandy Lake Michigan beach with an uphill walk back.
Beach · 0.7 mi awayKemil BeachA Lake Michigan beach with a Great Marsh hike from its lot.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayGreat Marsh Observation DeckA short accessible walk to the Great Marsh
Campground · 1.2 mi awayDunewood CampgroundA wooded base, with lake beaches a short drive away.
Beach · 2.6 mi awayCentral Avenue BeachSummer bank swallows shuttle over this sandy Lake Michigan beach.
Campground · 2.7 mi awayCentral Avenue Walk-in CampgroundFive quiet sites near Lake Michigan, reached by a steep gear carry.Parkwolf’s Indiana Dunes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
