From Chicago on a clear day you can see Gary, a miserable steel-making town 30 miles (48km) southeast along the Lake Michigan shore. Beyond this industrial blight are the Indiana Dunes, over 20 miles (32km) of sandy beaches and dunes formed by the prevailing winds on Lake Michigan. They are dotted by development and the odd steel mill, but many long stretches of pristine beach and shoreline are encompassed in state and national parks.
The Bailly-Chellberg Visitor Center and Trail is the focus of the National Lakeshore Park. A 2-mile (3km) forest nature trail passes through areas where dogwood, Arctic berries and even cactus grow. The path also passes restored log cabins from the 1820s and a farm built by Swedes in the 1870s.
On summer days, the Indiana Dunes State Park is jammed with people hitting the beach. The Kemil Beach is one of the less crowded; its far eastern end is dominated by Mt Baldy, a 120ft (36m) dune with good views of the lake and shoreline.
South Shore trains depart frequently from downtown Chicago for the Indiana Dunes, 40 miles (64km) east. By car, I-94 puts you close to the parks.

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