The inaugural Indiana Dunes Outdoor Adventure Festival, will take place October 6-8, 2017 at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and several nearby locations. The greater dunes region is packed with outdoor adventure opportunities and the festival will bring together all these activities in one place. With support from Indiana Dunes Tourism, the Indiana Dunes State Park, and a dozen other partners, the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will host this free, three-day event.
Centered at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center on State Road 49, the festival will showcase the region’s natural and cultural significance through hiking, paddling, biking, and other activities such as geo-caching, photography, birding, and orienteering. The festival has events for everyone including families, beginners, experts, and those with limited mobility. The only requirements are the desire for an outdoor adventure and to have a great time!
Outdoor adventures extend well beyond the national lakeshore. The festival will take place across the region with activities in Porter, La Porte, and Lake Counties. A highlight of the weekend will be the grand opening of the Little Calumet River Water Trail with a tour sponsored by the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, Shirley Heinz Land Trust, and Save the Dunes.
Another unique opportunity will be backpacking in the national lakeshore. With support from REI, we will be leading an overnight backpacking trip to Cowles Bog beach and back. Enjoy the sunset from your tent pitched on the beach along Lake Michigan! No experience required and equipment will be available to rent.
Although the festival is free, several events have limited spaces, so pre-registration is requested. Please sign-up for individual events by visiting https://outdooradventurefestival.eventbrite.com or our website at www.nps.gov/indu and clicking on the Outdoor Adventure Festival icon.
The Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is located at 1215 North State Road 49, about one mile north of Interstate 94. For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, call 219-395-1882 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/indu and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/IndianaDunesNL.
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.
