Free Entry At Indiana Dunes On Veterans Day (Nov 11) For US Citizens And Residents

The South Shore Line runs from Millennium Station to Dune Park in about 70 minutes for about 10 dollars each way on a weekday schedule; check South Shore Line return train times before leaving Chicago. Two routes start at the Dune Park platform.

Look for trail signs on the west end of the station to walk 1.33 miles south on the Dunes Kankakee Trail (about 25 to 30 minutes each way) to the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, where rangers screen Flying for Freedom, Untold Stories of the Tuskegee Airmen, from 2 to 3 p.m. on Nov 11. To return, retrace the trail back north to Dune Park Station. Alternatively, from the north side of the tracks, follow the Calumet Bike Trail 2 miles east to Kemil Road (about 40 to 45 minutes) and 100 yards south to the 0.5 mile paved Calumet Dunes Trail (a 20-minute walk on a 12,000-year-old shoreline ridge), or head north to Kemil Beach; retrace your steps west to catch the train home.

Entry is waived on Nov 11 for US citizens and residents, the last fee free day of 2026. Other days cost 25 dollars a car or 15 dollars per person ages 16 and up on foot or bike for 7 days, under 16 is free, and the state park next door charges separately. November lakefront winds are brisk and sunset is early at 4:32 p.m.—dress in warm, windproof layers and plan to head back to the platform before dark. If you skip the train, three lakefront parks along the train line from Millennium Park to Hyde Park sit below.