NationalParkEntry

IN · Midwest & Great Plains

Indiana Dunes National Park entry requirements

No timed-entry or vehicle reservation is needed to enter Indiana Dunes in 2026. Entrance is $25 per vehicle. Check any visit date against the official 2026 rules.

The 2026 season at Indiana Dunes

This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.

No reservation is required to enter Indiana Dunes National Park in 2026.

An entrance fee or accepted pass is required on every visit, separately from anything below.

  1. Park entrance

    Required

    You must pay the park entrance fee or show an accepted pass.

    • Private vehicle: $25, valid for 7 days.
    • Motorcycle: $20.
    • Per person on foot or bicycle: $15.
    • An America the Beautiful pass covers this entrance fee. It does not cover any reservation or permit below.
    • $25 private vehicle / $20 motorcycle (2 motorcycles, 4 people max) / $15 per person on foot, bike, boat or organized group, valid 7 days. Children under 16 are exempt. The $45 park annual pass is valid 1 year and is NOT accepted at Indiana Dunes State Park. Pay at the visitor center, West Beach Entrance Station (seasonal), Recreation.gov, or listed local retailers; not every lot has a station.

  2. Timed entry

    Not required

    Nothing here is required in 2026.

    • No timed entry or entry reservation is required. Reservations are required for the Dunewood Campground, the Dunbar Group Site, and some picnic shelters. Entire park

  3. Vehicle, road, or corridor

    Not applicable

    Indiana Dunes National Park has no vehicle, road, or parking permit system.

  4. Shuttle

    Not applicable

    Indiana Dunes National Park has no shuttle system.

  5. Your campground or lodging

    Required on some dates

    Dunewood Campground reservation applies during part of 2026.

    • Dunewood Campground reservation

      Dates
      Apr 1, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026
      Hours
      All day
      Fee
      $25
      Opens
      Rolling window

      Applies to Dunewood Campground, 1600 Broadway, Beverly Shores, IN (all 67 sites)

      • $25.00 per night (expanded amenity fee). 50% discount for Senior Annual, Senior Lifetime and Access passes; no discount for the standard Annual, Military, Volunteer or 4th Grade passes.
      • The Dunbar Group Site (up to 30 people, 10 tents) is booked separately on Recreation.gov.
      • A campground reservation does NOT include the park entrance fee. The park states: 'A valid entrance pass or reciept is required for all visitors, including permit holders.'.
    Book on recreation.gov

  6. Selected activity

    Not required

    Nothing here is required in 2026.

    • Picnic shelter reservations (some shelters only) — picnic tables cannot be reserved. A group of 25 or more people and/or 10 vehicles requires a Special Use Permit regardless of shelter booking.

Fees and passes

Private vehicle$25
Motorcycle$20
Per person, on foot or bicycle$15
Valid for7 days
Park annual pass$45

$25 private vehicle / $20 motorcycle (2 motorcycles, 4 people max) / $15 per person on foot, bike, boat or organized group, valid 7 days. Children under 16 are exempt. The $45 park annual pass is valid 1 year and is NOT accepted at Indiana Dunes State Park. Pay at the visitor center, West Beach Entrance Station (seasonal), Recreation.gov, or listed local retailers; not every lot has a station.

An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.

An America the Beautiful / federal interagency pass covers the national park entrance fee. It does NOT cover the Indiana Dunes State Park gate fee, and vice versa. A pass also does not cover Dunewood Campground or picnic-shelter reservations.

Fee-free days

  • Feb 16, 2026
  • May 25, 2026
  • Jun 14, 2026
  • Jul 3, 2026
  • Jul 4, 2026
  • Jul 5, 2026
  • Aug 25, 2026
  • Sep 17, 2026
  • Oct 27, 2026
  • Nov 11, 2026

From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.

Rules that apply to one area only

These do not apply to the whole park. Where you go changes the answer.

  • Entire Indiana Dunes National Park, including West Beach, Porter Beach, Mount Baldy, Cowles Bog, Dunewood and all trails and beachesIndiana Dunes National Park entrance fee (7-day pass) · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
  • Dunewood Campground, 1600 Broadway, Beverly Shores, IN (all 67 sites)Dunewood Campground reservation (required to camp, not to visit) · Apr 1, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026

What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover

  • Indiana Dunes National Park entrance fee (7-day pass)Not covered by an in-park booking. A Dunewood Campground or Dunbar Group Site reservation does NOT include the entrance fee — the park states a valid entrance pass is required for all visitors, including permit holders.
  • Dunewood Campground reservation (required to camp, not to visit)Not covered by an in-park booking. A campground reservation does NOT include the park entrance fee. The park states: 'A valid entrance pass or reciept is required for all visitors, including permit holders.'

Quick answers

Do I need a reservation for Indiana Dunes?
No. Indiana Dunes National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. You still pay the entrance fee ($25 per vehicle) or show an accepted pass.
Is there an entrance fee at Indiana Dunes?
Yes. A private vehicle pass is $25 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Official links, coverage, and sources

When reservations are released

  • Indiana Dunes National Park entrance feePasses are sold on demand at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, the seasonal West Beach kiosk, online at Recreation.gov, and at listed local retailers. Nothing sells out and nothing is released on a schedule.
  • Dunewood Campground reservationReleased on a rolling window. Sites are reservable starting six months before the check-in date. Sites are reservable beginning on November 15 for the following camping season. The park does not publish a daily release clock time.

Official booking and park information

What this does not cover

  • Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
  • Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
  • Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
  • Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.
  • Individual campsite and lodge availability, which is handled by the booking system.

Effective dates and sources

  • Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entrancePrivate Vehicle $25.00 — 7-Day Park Entrance Fee - Family-Size Vehicle. Per private family-sized vehicle (valid for 1-7 days from date of purchase). ... Motorcycle $20.00 Valid for 7 days. ... Per Person $15.00 7-Day Per Person Entrance Fee
  • Fees & Passes - Indiana Dunes National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Indiana Dunes National Park entrance feeDo you have to pay an entrance fee every day? The $25 vehicle pass is good for 7 days or you can buy an annual pass for that is good for a year from when it is purchased.
  • Fees & Passes - Indiana Dunes National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Indiana Dunes STATE Park charges a separateIndiana Dunes National Park is owned by the federal government and Indiana Dunes State Park is owned by the State of Indiana. As such, each park has fees and passes that are separate and unique. None of the passes and fees work between the two parks.
  • Permits & Reservations - Indiana Dunes National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to No timed entry or entry reservationField note (absence of a rule, not a quote): the Permits & Reservations page's 'Most common reservation inquiries' lists only Dunewood Campground, the Dunbar Group Site and picnic shelters. The Fees page 'Key Information' panel shows only 'Get an entrance pass', no 'Make a reservation' item.
  • Campgrounds - Indiana Dunes National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Dunewood Campground reservationCampground Open Dates: April 1 through November 1. ... $25.00 per night camping fee (expanded amenity fee). All camp sites are reservable in advance at www.recreation.gov starting six months in before the check-in date. Sites are reservable beginning on November 15 for the following camping season.
  • Permits & Reservations - Indiana Dunes National Park (U.S. National Park Service)National Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Picnic shelter reservationsPicinic Shelters have both reservable and first come, first served based locations. For more information call (219) 395-8138. ... All picnic tables in the park are first come, first served and cannot be reserved.

Something wrong here?

Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.

corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-07-26

Nearest other national parks

Chosen by distance from Indiana Dunes, not by editorial preference.