An urban oasis just 35 miles outside of Chicago, this park includes more than 15,000 acres of sensitive dune lands, bird-filled marshes, oak and maple forests, and remnants of once-vast prairies. Visitors have seen more than 350 species of birds and researchers have found more than 90 endangered plant species within the park’s boundaries. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore provides park visitors a wonderful opportunity to hike along the dunes, swim in beautiful Lake Michigan beaches, climb Mt. Baldy, or explore the wonders of Pinhook Bog, and get a taste of wilderness remarkably close to a major urban center.