Dunewood Campground

Very nice facilities and easy levelled sites. Far from the dunes but that’s not a big deal. We checked in super late so just went right to our spot and a ranger came by to get our info. It’s $25/night or $12.50 if you have an eligible parks pass.

The campground itself is nice, clean, and basic, with everything one needs for no-hookup camping. A national pass got me half price. The equipment length limitations on recreation.gov are accurate: These are mostly stubby parking spots off of the main loops. The woods are thick and the shade is abundant. Lots of birds for viewing.

However, the campground is in a busy transportation corridor, with I-94 and a train to the south, and Highways 20 and 12 & a light rail to the north. The drone of traffic from both directions never stops and echoes quite nicely through the woods. Train horns occur every 30 minutes or so.

Very nice campground, nicely spaced, paved sites. You just can't beat national forest campgrounds in my opinion. The only complaints I could make are that the train horn is pretty frequent and, the bathroom, while looking pretty clean, smelled heavily of urine.

We tent camped here for one night on our way to Chicago, but would definitely come back with the trailer.

Campground sites are well spaced with many different options on site length. Lots of trees for hammocks (and shade in the summer!). Hiking close by, beaches, Dunes, history and plenty to see in the National Lakeshore.

Comfort stations were heated and the showers were great. Campground was scheduled to close in late October, just a week after we were there.

We stayed here while passing through on our way east. Originally, we were only going to stay one night, but after days of driving and realizing how much we enjoyed the area, decided to stay an extra couple of nights.

The campground is very close to the Dunes and in a quaint area. A train station at Beverly Shores will take you to Chicago only an hour and a half away. However, with the train being so close, there is a fair amount of noise.

There are plenty of level pull-through sites and each has a fire pit and picnic table. The bathrooms and showers were semi-clean, but at least close to most campsites.

A great option for the area.

If you like lots of trees with canopy overhead, this is your place. Sites are pretty close together but there are growing trees and plants between each sites.

There are no hook ups. There is a dump and fresh water at the entrance.

If you're looking to use solar, it will be a challenge. We had the pick of sites and we selected based on open sky for the solar. With all the trees, it was still a challenge.

You can drive to the beach area. We walked on the boardwalk and explored the model homes from the 1934 Worlds Fair. Very cool!

This campground is very overgrown but I'm guessing on a weekend it would be very busy.

There is a train station nearby if you wanted to visit Chicago.

Price reflects senior discount. Easy credit card check-in/registration machine at entrance. Roomy, no services-sites in woods with privacy between sites. Easy access to state and national parks (good biking, hiking & beach close by). Bathrooms & showers seemed well maintained.

I should comment on the price. We paid $12.50/night, but that was with our National Parks Access Pass. Regular price without a pass was listed at $25.

We had already stayed in Chicago before heading here, but this is a great little campground near Lake Michigan that has a train to Chicago within walking distance. There are no hook-ups, but there are flushing toilets and showers, plus they have a dump site and water fill-ups, as well as trash and recycling bins. All the sites are paved and fairly level. The campground, bathrooms, etc, are pretty clean. We stayed in late August, so it was in the mid-80s most of the time and very humid. The campground is very easy to get to and the roads are all paved and in good shape, they are even paved throughout the campground, but you still get an outdoorsy feel because it is so wooded. Lots of trees with a full canopy over most sites and roads, which helps when the sun is bright. AT&T signal was great here. The bars on the phone don't tell the story. Only 2 bars on my phone's display, but SpeedCheck test measured 38.26 Mbps download and 9.16 Mbps upload via iPhone 7 Plus. Gave a little bit of a low rating for noise, because its not far off the road, although there is very little traffic at night, and not a whole lot during the day, it seams, but the train is pretty regular throughout the day and night. So it just depends on how much that is an issue for you.

There is also a general store, liquor store, and gas station within walking distance. The general store has a small selection of groceries at fair prices, and lots of souvenir-type items, but also firewood for $5 a bundle. Liquor store is actually quite nice, not what I'd expect. Fairly high end with a good selection of quality beer and spirits. Not a low-end, stock up to get hammered place.

Also, the campground is on a free shuttle route, which runs every 20-30 minutes and takes you over to the shore of Lake Michigan if you want to spend some time at the beach.

We agree with all the previous reviews - it is the newest NP and they are still processing the changes from Nat'l Lakeshore to Nat'l Park. It is very close to the State Park ($29) - so be sure that you are in the right one. Beaches, hikes and gas is just a drop away.

Charmingly tucked into heavy woods also brings bugs and humidity. Not unbearable - but be ready. Also keep an eye out for poison ivy. It's very convenient as said. The bathrooms and showers were clean with a good work sink and recycling options. Enough space for privacy, no hookups and good staff.

The highlights were the people and their stories as it is a real walkers pathway.
If you have time - stop by the "Century of Progress" Exhibit by the lakeshore ... architecture from 1930's world's fair....and of course, the lakeshore.

First off, Indiana Dunes National Park is not on par with other national parks. IN fact, it just became a national park in 2019. So, think of it as a decent state park. The campground itself is nice and filed with trees. The shade will make using solar a challenge in most spots. So overall, great campsite, so-so park experience.