Longshore Birding Platform

Longshore Birding Platform is an open-air observation tower on a roughly 60-foot dune at the west side of Indiana Dunes State Park, above Dunes Prairie and Lake Michigan. It's a focused stop for watching birds move along the lakeshore and scanning the back-dune canopy. For spring migration, try an early morning with south winds between March and May; a busy sky still depends on the day.

The deck lifts you above much of the back-dune shrub and tree cover, with views over Dunes Prairie Nature Preserve and Lake Michigan. For a photo, include the switchback ramp leading up to the tower with the lake behind it; that shows how the platform sits on the dune.

The spring counter associated with the tower regularly records more than 250,000 birds across over 200 species in a year. That's a season-long migration tally, not a promise for one visit. Fall lake watches can also bring migrating shorebirds and waterfowl, with occasional jaegers.

Today's platform followed a 32-foot green water tower used for hawk watches and longshore flight counts. The old tower was demolished in 2007 after the park switched to the Town of Porter water system. Community efforts led to a replacement, with construction starting in 2012.

Go to Indiana Dunes State Park's West Lot, not the National Park's West Beach; they're different places. Accessible parking and an arrival area are available, and a ramp with handrails and wide passing spaces reaches the platform at a grade no steeper than 5%. Some birding accounts also mention stairs, so use the ramp for step-free access. Trail 3 starts here. The Dunes Pavilion on the beach is a separate food stop, with a rooftop bar and grill, snacks, and ice cream.