Indiana Dunes NP

We used to use US-30 to go around Chicago but it's a zoo now as it goes thru a lot of business/shopping areas at 25-30 mph. Actually, we avoid Chicago entirely and go up to Michigan's U.P. on US-31 which is divided limited access all the way north from South Bend Indiana and is called I-96 to Benton Harbor, then becomes I-196 to Holland, and then US-31 from there to Mackinaw City at the Straits and it goes thru Traverse City. Across the huge very high 5 mile long Big Mac Bridge across the Straits to the U.P. and take US-2 west or when coming back east, Excellent scenic route and good roads and take no longer than going thru Chicago but a whole lot more pleasant and relaxing and so much to see and/or do. Sometimes we take US-131 to the Straits as it's also mostly limited access divided highway but it's inland and goes thru Grand Rapids which has over a million pop but is a very neat and clean prograssive city with many tall buildings and has so much to do and/or see. Further south the the Kalamazoo area which has around half a million pop and then US-131 continues south to I-80 at the Indiana border.

Thousands of CG's in Michigan and so many are along the lakeshore. Over 100 State Parks to go with the National Parks, State and National forests CG's, county and private CG's. Camping, boating, and RV'ing is huge in Michigan and US-31 goes right alnong the gold coast of tourism and popularity for visitors.

At the Straits, there's a short passenger ferry trip (no vehicles allowed on the Island) over to Mackinac Island. Very popular and the ferries go from both St Ignace on the north side and Mackinaw City on the south side. A whole different world!

The most popular Michigan State Parks are Grand Haven, Holland, and Ludington with Hoffmaster not far behind. Grand Haven SP annually gets a little over 2 million visitors each year and Holland SP close to 2 million. Why? Because there's so much to do for all ages in these areas and very family orienated and extremely clean, friendly, and inexpensive. Most visitors come back year after year so they must like it! We've lived here for over 73 years now and know.

Stayed at the Dunes last fall.. via I-80 from the west. No traffic problems.

Travelnutz, thanks for this very informative post. I only heard of the Indiana dunes. Sounds like on the return trip I would be better off coming back through MI. along Rt 31 and visiting these dunes, this would route me away from Chicago. Do you know how RT 30 would be south off Chicago as it connects with Rt 80? My plan was to take RT 30 across Ohio and IN. and connect with Rt 80 either by RT 49 or Rt 30 near Joliet IL. I just am not familiar with the area to know the traffic in this area.

Chicago has around 10 million pop and it's always busy on the south side roads /interstates 24/7. All traffic and trucks going to or thru from the east, west, and south have to travel/use these roads because of huge Lake Michigan they must go around the southside of.

Indiana Dunes are very nice and worth a visit if you have never seen or been in real sandunes. Although the dunes are much smaller than those going north of them starting about 60 miles north where they will be 300' to 500' high of pure golden quartz sand. It sings when you walk thru/across it and why it's called "singing sand".

They will very interesting and a real treat to walk barefood in the type of sugar soft very clean golden sand that continues right out into and forms the bottom of very deep Lake Michigan (923' deep, 100 miles wide and 340 miles long of pure unsalted potable water). We live in the sandunes by Grand Haven, Michigan which is approx 100 miles north of Indiana dunes and wouldn't move away period as it's so wonderful. This never breaking down salt or sugar sized grains of pure sand only occurs in 2 areas on the planet Earth. The Great Lakes, mainly in Michigan and in Australia. The sand constantly filters the water to Caribbean blue color and never gets silty and murky like lakes or water at/on clay bearing soils or runoff from normal lands. We often can see our boat anchor on the bottom when it's 30/40/50+ feet down in Lake Michigan when it's smooth.

The real biggies (dunes) are at Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore National Park west of Traverse City, Michigan (about 60 miles of them). Also many very large dunes for the public to play in at PJ Hoffmaster State Park between Grand Haven and Muskegon. 2-1/2 miles of dunes and pristene pure sand beach in the State Park alone with 300 campsites in the thick woods behind the dunes and a very cool visitor center etc. Roughly 1200 acres in size along the shoreline.