If you don't see the Google Sheet below with all the detailed instructions to go on to the map you may not have sufficient security or are using a browser that is not supported. One can try clicking on the sheet to request access OR below the table is a printout in the PDF format which ALL should be able to see.

Indiana Dunes State Park official map in PDF format of above image with one more page from Indiana Dunes State Park : https://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/dunes_trail.pdf

WITH: What to bring WITH you!

What do you need to bring? I have been hiking the Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes State Park for over fifty years and I have brought things that I carried hour after hour that I NEVER used and I forgot to bring things or did not bring enough of something and paid dearly for it. SO these are some things to bring and some to leave home.

SAFETY:

1. layers, Layers, LAYERS! - This is so critical!!!

A. Instead of wearing a long sleeve cotton shirt and a giant parka wear several layers of non-cotton and a water resistant or waterproof outer layer. From mt experience a Gore-Tex outer layer is the best because heat from your effort can get out and rain or snow can't get in.

B. The temperature for 12/5/20, the Inaugural date, is estimated to be 31F - 44F. If you are in a forest hiking and it is level you won't be generating as much heat from hiking on flat ground. If you are climbing up a steep sand dune you will be cranking up the heat and you could sweat, another reason you don't want to wear the killer cotton. It will get wet and stay wet and when you get in the colder forest it will not be pleasant.

C. Hat - You need to pick one to have if you need it and be comfortable in it. You don't want one that is too small and keeps creeping up over your ears. The hats that have a strap under your chin is nice too for very cold weather. You can use a hood to keep wind or rain or snow off and that means you have two layers. I have seen people wear ear muffs too.

D. Glasses - They are imperative with high winds on the beach. Without cheap wrap around safety glasses sand will hurt and could injure your eyes. In November, 2020, I was on the beach and the wind had gusts 45+ MPH. The sand was loose. Say goodbye to a camera lens if you don't have a cheap UV filter on it to protect it.

D. JACKET - The more layers you have then of course the thinner the jacket can be. I love a jacket with LOTS of pockets. I have one I use the most and it has SEVEN pockets and I have specific purposes for each and then I don't have to take off my backpack for smaller frequently used things.

E. GLOVES - There are gloves that can cost several hundred dollars and gloves $20. One approach is to wear very thin gloves and then when needed put on an additional pair over that are much warmer. Some companies even sell them in this kit approach where you add layers as needed. I have not found touch-screen ready gloves to be useful to me. They are too clumsy and in the colder temperatures they are less effective and if you have a screen protector or a bulky protection case your finger may not even be able to touch all the edge areas of the screen. I write a lot and use Google (much better) and Apple voice recognition to take notes. I have used snowmobile mittens and I was surprised that I had to wear thin gloves underneath to stay warm. Of course some manufacturers are quality and some make cheap clones of the best in class.

E. Shorts/Pants - Check the weather over all the hours to determine if you would be comfortable in shorts or long pants or long pants with thermal long underwear or with rain pants or snow pants on top. What is nice with "ranger" like pants is that they are very flexible compared to say cotton jeans. Cotton pants tend to stay wet longer too than "tactical hiking pants".  

F. Barefoot/Sport Sandals/Running Shoes/Trail Runners/Hiking Boots/Water Proof Hiking Boots/Work boots/Snow boots/Socks - In warm weather barefoot is ideal because your feet get in touch with the microbes on the ground. If the surface is not smooth and soft it can be painful. Sport sandals  come in a waterproof style and these are lightweight; however, I always got little 1/2" sticks between the foot and the sandal. On sand it is great to insulate you from 115F sand. Running shoes can be adequate but don't make the grade when there are inches of water or extreme cold and wind. Trail runners are very similar to the running shoes but are made more sturdy and heavier. Some can come in waterproof models which is good in the 50F's and below. In warmer temperatures the waterproof "baggie" they put in the shoe or boot can become too warm. Gore-Tex is a great material to have in them. Hiking boots give more ankle support and add more weight. If trails are relatively flat and free of rocks or are sand the boots may be overkill. I have had a pair of Red Wing work boots for ten years and they function perfectly. I use them in the 20F - 40F. They are so comfortable. I have Solomon snow boots which they said are good to -10F and I have taken them below that during our "Polar Vortex" on several hikes. Don't use cotton socks if at all possible. They can get wet from puddles or sweat and then you can get chilled. You want a material that doesn't hold on to water. In bicycling I rode at -14F and I was told to use a thin silk sport sock under a thick wool sock and that combo was perfect because you had -14F, wind chill, and the pedaling wind chill.

G. Weather: On the two days before the start of your hike check the hourly temperatures and plan accordingly.

2. ELECTRONICS 

A. If possible everyone should have a cell phone powered on in case there is an emergency and someone needs to reach you or you need to reach someone.

B. One should have at least one backup external battery and charging cable and a charging block to plug in in case the phone's battery and the external backup is dead. NOTE that in cold weather smartphones will often turn off to protect it's circuitry. One may want a chemical hand warmer pad so that the smartphone can be gently heated back to life.

C. Note cell phones do NOT work all throughout the park. If you need to make a call and there is no signal try turning off the phone and turning it back on. Sometimes a phone will LOCK onto a cell tower and even though the cell tower's signal keeps dropping the phone won't switch to a closer more powerful tower do to a bug.  By turning the phone off and then back on it may find a suitable signal on another tower. If it doesn't keep walking and checking the signal because they do come in and out.

D. On my hikes I have several inexpensive walkie-talkies that have coverage for a few miles. If someone gets injured and can't move I can leave someone with a walkie-talkie and I can continue on until I get cell coverage and call 911 and return to be with them. One might want to have them to stay in touch with other members in their party. Ask me to tell the rescue story we had in the Summer of 2020.

E. If there is someone who needs to be socially distanced beyond 6 feet they can have a walkie-talkie and hear me or the group while they remain farther away.

F. There are many smartphone apps that provide great functionality related to safety. I give talks on dozens and dozens of apps for hikes but this is just a brief list here. They are all FREE. One can buy enhancements for them but I have never needed to. You likely can get by with the free version.

1. Resuscitate! - Shows videos on what to do if someone is having a heart attack or is choking. Just set it on ground and press play and follow instructions. It could save a life.

2. Hiking Project - Where are you on the map even when you don't have cell phone coverage? Hiking Project ALSO uses GPS signals and maps one has downloaded into their phone to tell you where you are and show a map of all official trails at the National or State Parks.

3. Gaia GPS - This GPS app shows you where you are and provides all kinds of metrics on your hike like time and average speed and moving time, .... It is my FAVORITE app for recording hikes.

4. Rash Plants - Which plants are poisonous? Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac are shown and explained. 

5. Compass or Commander Compass - Know where you are exactly and navigate safely back. Play with these apps BEFORE you need them. Compass is built-in to the iPhone and there are free ones for Android in case you don't have one.

6. The Tick App - Is education on ticks and tracking of them. Try this out prior to a hike so that you know what they look like and what you can do. Walmart and Target used to sell a Tick Key to remove ticks for about $4. I think they sold out and maybe are on backorder. The same one was on Amazon and cost double at $8. I have used this little aluminum "key" to remove many ticks I got. I got a lot on the Mt. Baldy Beach Trail (the trail to the beach) because families would be walking and I would step slightly to the side and then would jump on me from a plant I may have bumped against. Also NEVER walk under a branch where the leaves brush against your hair. Transfer can occur. NOBODY knows what percent of ticks have lyme disease. It has been said it ranges from 1-50% which isn't helpful. Also my Golden Retriever Aslan got 25 tics on a 3 hour hike at the Glenwood Dune Trail of the National Park. Horses can go there. Deer go there. Inspect your dog in the parking lot and use a fine comb to go through the hair. 

7. Google Maps - It often has trails and old roads that are no longer used as roads but are a part of say a National Park. If you have found yourself lost after straying off marked trails, say East of Kemil Beach Parking Lot, one can use Google Maps and actually see where you are plotted on the map of streets that no longer exist but the asphalt is decaying and plants have grown over. It works very well! Google has also gone down some trails over the years. So see if they have anything that can help you navigate.

8. Voice Memos - On the iPhone and Android one can record pure audio with no connection to Cell, WiFi, or Bluetooth. If you are feeling sick UNLOCK your phone, turn off the locking feature, start the voice memo app, explain clearly what is going on. Label the Voice Memo EMERGENCY 911 LISTEN! and hopefully someone will come across the phone by you and pick it up and see EMERGENCY 911 LISTEN! and play it. It is the fastest way to give a lot of information fast and they can hear the tone of your voice for diagnostic purposes. 

9. Weather - If you get poor weather information it can and has been deadly. Several times over the last twenty years I have watched weather on apps and everyone said one thing and the Weather Underground App got it right! A couple of times it was severe lake effect snow. SO the first Weather App I look to is the Weather Underground. Then Accuweather. Then the Weather Channel. The Weather Underground methodology is they take data from so many small weather stations into their model. The Weather Channel liked it so much they bought the Weather Underground company. MAKE SURE that you only let a weather app access your phone when you are using the app. I have seen phones that had 50-70% of their battery chewed up by a weather app. You can't afford to loose battery from apps and the cold!

10. Timer/Stopwatch - There are built-in apps and free ones that can do many concurrent timers and stopwatches. One can use them to remind them of times to eat or have drunken this much water or take medicine or use to have checkpoints like I should be at this location in 2 hours and that one in 4.5 hours.

11. Sunrise Times - If you are going to do sunrise or sunset photography you need to know. This app is very good for planning your hikes. You decide to take a certain hike.  Do you have time to get it in before it gets dark if that matters? All kinds of info related to sunrise and sunset time.

12. SkyView Lite - See the night sky around you EXPLAINED! This is a neat app for the Dunes or your backyard or other parks, if there are any other ones you are interested in going to after you have explored here during ALL four seasons. 

13. The Moon - Use this app to determine the level of moonlight you want to do hikes in that could continue into the nighttime. 

14. Timer+ - Use this app to create many timers which you can label so that you know how you are doing on progress. For example you have a timer from the Pavillion Parking Lot to say the East end of the park near the Kemil Beach parking lot. Then you have a timer set which includes that first portion and the time to get from the East end to the Pavillion. Most will never ever do this BUT it is something to do if you are trying to beat your previous time. One must have metrics.

15. Bubble Level - This does many things but one is measure the angle of a hill that you are on. So let's say you want to climb a hill with a 30 degree angle if you train a lot on 40+ degree hills it will be easier to do that 30 degree hell. BUT UNLESS you know the metrics of the hill like angle and duration you can't prepare perfectly. Now of course you don't need to be insane and do this but this involves a little citizen science and hiking.

16. AND THERE ARE MANY MORE which you can learn about on a hike with me.

3. MEDICINE - Keep enough medicine for the time you are going to be gone from home PLUS some spare and keep it in a waterproof container and if it is sensitive to heat or cold pack it in an ice pack or warmer pack.

4. WATER

A. 75% OF Americans are chronically dehydrated. In the days before an event make sure you are well hydrated and then do NOT skimp on the event. You may not want to carry all the weight of the water. You need to know where there are places you can fill up your containers.

B. Depending on the time of the year and the time of the day will determine water availability. The Nature Center has a water bottle filler and is likely open 10AM - 4PM during prime visitation days but in the late Fall they are closed on Monday and Tuesdays. Plan ahead. Call them if you are unsure at 1-219-926-1390. And please note they have nothing to do with this hike so they can't answer questions.

C. In warmer weather Spring/Summer/Fall the campground has water faucets spread throughout. There are pit toilets at the Northwest end and the Northeast end. Next to them on the East side and behind there are powerful water fillers open year round. After filling anything you need to run it for awhile. It might say run at full speed for 30 seconds to prevent freezing.

D. Some shelters such as Wilson, Duneside, and Tremont have water where you can fill up. Duneside is a private shelter if it is rented which means you can't go onto the property to get water nor park in that lot. If it is not reserved then you can go on it to get water. 

E. West of the Pavillion is a bathroom complex which is not open in winter. There are sinks with little sprays activated by motion which is a pain to fill a bottle. In late Fall and Winter it doesn't appear to be open when I have checked family restroom on the North side.

F. Of course if you have the proper filters or chemical purification tablets you have ALL of Lake Michigan at your disposal as a last resort.

G. Some backpacks have water hydration packs. I personally have never found one that I like. I can taste plastic in the bag or hoses or valve. The hose or pack can freeze up because they aren't insulated. In the Summer if you put ice in the bag the hose isn't insulated and the water warms up in the hose.  You can insulate the hose with multiple layers of aluminum foil. I prefer stainless steel triple insulated bottles or double insulated to save cost. I only TASTE water. The Corkcicle  26 oz bottle can have a pop-up straw. The Takeya 40 oz has a patented lid with a super strong swinging handle and a small screw off lid for small drinking and a BIG opening to guzzle or to put huge ice cubes into. I use a variety of others but these two are with me every time for sure. I am drinking 128 oz every day.

H. Good article on dehydration: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dehydration-adults#1

5. Food/snacks

A. You want to bring foods that you can easily eat and perhaps on the go as you are moving. That is up to you. Pick healthy foods which probably don't include Twinkies and Diet Coke! 

6. First Aid Kit

A. What injuries could you envision getting? Some are tiny that you can treat with a reasonable First Aid Kit. 

B. If you have an emergency Call 911. There are posts in various places around the park that have location information codes. It is imperative that you know what trail you are on and in general where you are on it. You can also first call the State Park office at 1-219-926-1952 but if they are swamped with other emergencies 911 is your best choice. You have to make that decision yourself. Quick thinking saves lives. That is why I recommend the Resuscitate! App which steps you through with previously downloaded videos how to handle choking or a heart attack. Get the App and review it before it is needed. Many people who haven't cleared strenuous exercise with a doctor can suffer severe consequences up to and including death. 

7. Stickers 

A. Put a sticker with your name and phone number on anything that you could possible get back if you loose it and it is found.

B. On your phone put an alternate number and email address so that you can be contacted if someone finds it. If a phone is locked no one will be able to know who's it is unless your wallpaper has the info and the battery isn't dead.

7. BACKPACK! 

A. For longer hikes a backpack is strongly recommended. There are many backpack sizes and designs ranging from one that is in your pocket and folds out, school packs, laptop packs, DAY PACKS, and Multi-Day Packs. Here is an article on DAY PACKS : https://www.cleverhiker.com/best-hiking-daypacks

B.The art of packing a backpack  is something that you learn by experience. Put things frequently accessed on the outside of the backpack or on the top of a backpack with a huge storage compartment or strapped on it. You can use ice packs to keep things cold in the summer.

C. On larger backpacks there  are usually straps over your shoulders, around your waste, and around the top of your chest. Adjust the tension of these so that they are not too tight nor too loose. If you are jogging or running with a backpack I find I snug them up because I don't like the distraction of the heavy backpack bouncing around on me. If one makes it too tight if feels restricting or like you are getting choked and can't breathe deeply. Take time to get it right WITH the coat and clothes you will he wearing. Tension can change during the hike when you add or subtract a layer of clothes.

ALL Dune Challenge on 12/5/21:

ALL Dune Challenge on 10/23/21: