10/14/2026
Indiana Dunes National Park Waives Miller Woods Trails Entrance Fees (Change connects Douglas Center programs with outdoor learning opportunities) PORTER, Ind. — Indiana Dunes National Park has waived the entrance fee for the Douglas Center Loop and Paul H. Douglas Trail at Miller Woods, both accessible from the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education in Gary. This change allows visitors to connect the center’s exhibits, programs and ranger-led activities with outdoor learning and exploration without purchasing a park entrance pass.
The fee waiver applies only to the Miller Woods trails associated with the Douglas Center. Entrance fees continue to apply at other park locations where required.
“Learning at the Douglas Center can begin with an exhibit and continue with a walk into Miller Woods,” said Leo Lestino, acting superintendent. “This change gives us more ways to connect children and families with the park and help them understand why these places deserve our care.”
The Miller Woods trail complex offers two hiking options. The easy 0.9-mile Douglas Center loop circles the wetlands near the center and takes about 30 minutes. The Paul H. Douglas Trail to Lake Michigan is a moderate 3.4-mile round-trip hike through Miller Woods’ globally rare black oak savanna, wetlands and dunes to the Lake Michigan shoreline. Allow about two hours.
Both hikes begin at the Douglas Center at 100 N. Lake St. in Gary. Trail descriptions and a map are available on the park’s Paul H. Douglas Trail webpage at nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/mw16.htm.
Visitors are encouraged to stay on designated trails and observe posted closures to help protect sensitive habitats.
For program information, trail conditions and current fee requirements, visit nps.gov/indu or call the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center at (219) 395-1882.
Photo credit: NPS / Jeff Manuszak
Image description: A line of people walks along a narrow dirt trail through a lush green meadow with scattered trees at Miller Woods Hike on Paul H. Douglas Trail.
