Explore Indiana Dunes & Beyond
Beaches, hiking, fishing, biking, dining — all within minutes of your stay.
Book Direct & SaveIndiana Dunes National Park
The 7th most visited national park in the US with 3.5 million visitors per year. Fifteen miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 15,000 acres of dunes, prairies, wetlands, and forests — starting just 1 block from The Pool Barn. Clean freshwater swimming with no sharks, no jellyfish, no salt. On a clear evening, the Chicago skyline glitters across the water.
Beaches
Porter Beach is the closest — a wide sand beach with stunning dune backdrops, just minutes from the property. Indiana Dunes State Park Beach features three signature dunes including Mt. Tom at 192 ft. Multiple national park beach access points span the shoreline.
Hiking
Take the legendary 3 Dune Challenge — climb Mt. Tom, Mt. Holden, and Mt. Jackson back to back and earn a completion patch. Walk the Cowles Bog Trail for rare bog ecosystems and lake views. Or stroll the Bailly Homestead & Chelburg Farm Trail — flat, easy, and just 1 block from The Pool Barn.
Fishing
The Little Calumet River runs 1 block from the property and is one of Indiana's best Steelhead trout fisheries. Peak runs in March–April and October–November. Lake Michigan charters out of Michigan City offer salmon, lake trout, perch, and walleye.
Dining
Santiago's serves authentic Mexican food just half a mile away in Downtown Porter. Wagner's Ribs is a Northwest Indiana BBQ institution. Chesterton is about a mile away with boutique shops, bakeries, and the famous Saturday European Market running May through October.