Location: 100 N. Lake St., Gary, IN 46403
Hours: 6:00 am to 11:00 pm
Trail Length: Douglas Center Loop .9 miles; Beach trail 3.4 miles.
Entrance Cost: Requires a National Park Pass: 1-7 day vehicle pass: $25 per carload/$20 per motorcycle; Walk-in, bike-in, boat-in 1-7 day pass: $15 individual/$25 family; Indiana Dunes National Park Annual Pass: $45/year; America the Beautiful Annual Pass (entrance to over 2,000 federal recreation sites): $80/year. Passes can be purchased at the Douglas Center or at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, 1215 N. State Road 49, Chesterton, IN.
Parking: Yes, both at the Education Center and across the street from the center.
Dog Friendly: Yes, on a leash
Restrooms: Yes, in the Education Center
Miller Woods Trail is one of my favorites! It’s off of Lake Street in Miller. Simply take Highway 12 to Lake and then head towards the beach. There is a small parking lot on your left at the Paul H. Douglas Environmental Education Center. The trail consists of a short “loop trail” and then a longer trail to the beach which is approximately 3.4 miles there/back. I would recommend the beach trail. I was surprised at the ponds, open dunes and oak savanna that I came across. There are some beautiful stops for photos and the ponds around the area are gorgeous. I look forward to going back to this trail when the leaves have changed more.
