West Beach at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Porter
On the southern tip of Lake Michigan, this beach has great views of the Chicago skyline. But what draws families here are the normally calm water and Junior Ranger program. Kids can earn a "beachcomber badge" by completing a dozen or so family activities on a sheet handed out by park rangers. "We ask kids to do things like find three different-colored types of rocks near the shoreline, and look at the plants in the dunes and point out which kind they saw the most," says Bruce Rowe, the supervisory park ranger. When the kids are done at the beach, head to one of the four nearby nature trails, each about 1? miles long. The stroller-friendly Long Lake Trail takes you past forests and marshes.
Spend the Night
The closest place to stay: The Duneswalk Inn, about a ten-minute drive from the beach, is a renovated 1881 mansion. The rooms aren't froufrou, and one suite even has bunk beds.
The closest place to stay: The Duneswalk Inn, about a ten-minute drive from the beach, is a renovated 1881 mansion. The rooms aren't froufrou, and one suite even has bunk beds.
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