The Mount Baldy Access Site will be closed from late March to mid-June 2026 as the Indiana Dunes National Park Service undertakes a key project to manage sand movement and stabilize the shoreline. Over the years, windblown sand has covered parts of the parking area and sanitation facilities. This effort is designed to safeguard those amenities and ensure continued public access to this well-visited location.
Crews will relocate about 40,000 cubic yards of sand from the buried parking area and surrounding locations to Crescent Beach, where it will be used to enhance the shoreline as part of a beach nourishment effort in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The project will avoid impacting natural dune habitats and will not disturb any archaeological resources.
Visitors should anticipate localized closures near the Mount Baldy Access Site, along with occasional truck traffic and brief access restrictions at Crescent Beach during sand placement. The Indiana Dunes National Park appreciates patron’s patience as they work to protect infrastructure and preserve access to this iconic park destination, while also enhancing shoreline resilience along Lake Michigan. During the closure, visitors are encouraged to explore other beach areas within the park.
Image: NPS photo of Mount Baldy Comfort Station with the encroaching Mount Baldy behind it. NPS
Photo / Jeff Manuszak
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Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
