Beautiful national park. We took the dune succession trail to get to the beach which was a treat. I’m used to dunes at the jersey shore that only have grasses. Very cool to see a forest on the dunes. The water was warm, and the waves impressive for a lake! Also very cool to see Chicago in the distance. Highly recommend.

Perfect beach to just relax. Lots of families. Nice and quite.Parking has been good, its 6 bucks for parking. Walk to beach is less then 2 blocks. There are stairs going down to beach, if thats a consideration. Restrooms at parking area and by the beach. Bring drinks and food cause i didnt see any fot sale. I saw dogs so i think is doggie friendly.

I love West Beach for the trails. I enjoy not seeing people on the trails, I run them every morning. They have remarked the trails, maybe more people will use them. Whomever designed the bathhouse did a phenomenal job

Great beach, dog friendly, restrooms, parking lot with electric car charging station, trails and a beach house with showers! We are 1st time RVers and stayed overnight in the parking lot. Friendly workers in the a.m and very clean facilities. The one lady at the beach house reminded us we left our dog water bowl! We highly recommend this place! Thank you!

I am used to smelly, icy water that has dead fish on the beach in Chicago. Here it was very clear, warmer, and no smell. Sand was soft and fluffy. Nice sand bars part way out. Very clean and enjoyable!

If youre looking for a good time to spend time with your family and friends this is the way in this is where it should be West Beach its a very secure Beach and it looks very private cuz of how small the beaches but it does get crowded here in the daytime the water is very clear I cannot say clean it does have a small smell to it but it is fun to be swimming in the water and the Deep zone is far out so you have nothing to worry about this is a fun place in the great way to come here with your friends.

Beautiful and much less crowded then the main National Park Indiana Dunes (although here you also pay for the parking and yes there’s lots of ppl here too, just a little less)- 6$ parking- they have lifeguards on duty

Beautiful beach and national park! Great hiking trails. Wonderful scenery and wild life too! During summer months theres a charge for parking (maybe 5-6 dollars). The beach is clean. On a really clear day you can see the Chicago skyline too! Husband took me to this beach and Ive been hooked ever since! It is such a beautiful and peaceful place!

Bathrooms were clean, beachfront was well taken care of. A little crowded but it was a holiday weekend. Cant wait to go back to go hiking.

I have been coming here since I was a little kid, and it never disappoints. The moving dunes, and so many different biomes in one little area are truly stunning. The long lake hiking trail floods sometimes, but some logs to get across the water make it quite the little adventure. My only wish is for people to throw away their trash. Have some respect for this beautiful place.

Beach is great, water is so clean. But do not go! July, 2020. Its so packed, no one wears a mask. People sit as close as a foot from each other, it was insane.

Cool place! The water was warm and the waves impressive for a lake!

Went here for the first time Thursday with my family definitely crowded but I was so disgusted that after 5 people bring their dogs and let them use the bathroom all over the beach I would of never let my one year old n 8 year old play and dig in the sand all day. Or Would I even spend the day here. If I knew this. We actually watched a dog have diarrhea in the shore next to kids playing. I watched 3 dogs urinate as soon as they hit the sand The sign says no pets n that’s why I went but that changed after 5 and it’s disgusting and unsanitary that your park allows this with children swimming n playing in the same water and sand dogs are using the bathroom on. I will be looking more into this I’m so disgusted.

We couldnt go swimming because they test the water at all beaches every morning for a number of things. They found e coli in the water at this beach. Said we could hike or whatever just not swim. Then the guard lady was happy to let us know that the other 9 beaches tested fine and we could swim at any one of those.

The beach is great and the hiking is so cool! Try all the hiking and then cool off! The Dunes Succession Trail has LOTS of stairs and a view of the skyline of Chicago. Look for this sunrise! Still have energy? Walk or bike the Marquette Trail just West of the Park. Whatever you do, don’t sit on your couch and watch Netflix like a ROBOT. EXPAND your mind whale you still have one.

Not impressed. It was too crowded and then there are those who are not being cognizant that this is not their backyard. Stop letting your dogs use the sand to pee and poo. Im sure we saw several no pet signs but they were disregarded.Some people just let their kids run wild, disregarding others space, which is not something I care to see or hear when Im supposed to be on vacation.

I loved this location, reminded me of being home in Florida with such beautiful scenery.

Shoreline was clean very reduced from past years I have visited. My family has been visiting the West Beach location for 30 plus years we live it. The showers are cold but always maintained very well. Bathrooms are also clean. Parking is about 10 min walk so pack you items with that in mind

I love this park, not such crowded compare to state park and at the same time price more reasonable

Beautiful location for hiking, biking and beaching.

Fun stop on our drive to Michigan! You have to pay to come in the park but its worth it. Great sand trails to walk and get close to the beach. Took about 30 minutes for us to walk one trail but you can spend more time depending on what you want to do

West beach was nice - not too crowded. Long walk from the parking lot was really the only negative. Beautiful scenery with lots of trees

Little disappointed we had to pay for this park as we had an annual national park pass. Luckily it was only $6. It was a beautiful but I guess they have other parks are there where you can get in for free.

Nice beach with a long trail leading up to the beach, but the sand is littered with pieces of wood and bark everywhere which is annoying.

We had a great time on our family vacation and will definitely be back!

They have facilities for changing. Its surrounded by industrial complexes. You can see Chicago way off in the distance if its clear outside, but not close enough for pictures. Not the best beach by far though.

Ive never seen a beach so crowded In my life. If you want the public pool feeling, go for it. It was very uncomfortable. We walked quite a ways down the beach to get a spot with a little space around us and thats why I gave it 3 stars. The parking is what brings people here-- theres plenty of it -- (6$ a car) while other nearby beaches are very limited.Seeing the steel mills on either side of the beach was also a turn off.Again though, if you walk a ways to the south, you can find nicer spots with space.Lots of beautiful beaches-- drive around-- get there early!!

Beautiful beach and uninterrupted dunes. Much more natural beach than Indiana Dunes State Park

Was very crowded. Not a lot of actual beach space to lay out (because of dunes), but ample parking($6) and a building to use restrooms, rinse off etc.

Stunning! I drive from NE Ohio, and it is totally beyond worth the trip. I used to live in the area (more like MC but preferred this access point), and I was addicted to coming to West Beach to walk the trails and escape from my then high-stress life. The place was so healing. Since I never managed to make any friends in Indiana, it was a great place for me to just appreciate the peacefulness of solitude. So many great memories here, and I am so grateful.

Just the showers needs to be separated other than that all was fine

We visited this place for the first time and we were impressed how beautiful it is.

My favorite place to go. Security is always there to make sure youre safe!! Clean roomy parking lot. Many explorations!

Great beach!!! Lifeguards present during most of the day. Clean, Lake Michigan water, nice smooth sand. The bathrooms and shower houses are clean and spacious. They have a concession stand that sells snacks and also ice so you don’t have to carry your heavy cooler loaded with ice! It is a 0.25 miles walk to beach from parking lot, so be prepared.

Really nice beach and surrounding dunes, views of Chicago over the lake

Water closed no swimming. Should tell you that on web site.

Entry point was easy to get to, get through and get in to the park(and head to the beach). They allow you to use both sides of pay booth in the morning when they are busy, to keep the lines from backing up. Assistants in booth are very nice and knowledgable, helpful if its your first time to the park. Thanks!

Best place to hike in the area. I always feel safe here.

Only public beach Ive been to that has sand wheelchairs. Thats a big plus. However the sand wheelchairs wont go through the bathroom doors. So you have to get a lifeguard to get you back your regular wheelchair, bathroom then get the sand wheelchair back. Bit of a hassle but at least they have a way to get physically challenged to the beach. So Im giving them 5stars for that alone. Its clean and beautiful.

Beautiful beach.

The area is beautiful and I love the dunes. They lose one star because the bathhouse could use some maintenance, they charged an amenity fee to get in even though we had an annual pass for National Parks, and because a lot of areas were closed off. Still a great place to visit. Long Lake was full of white water lilly flowers!

One of the newest National Parks. Many upgrades were underway including.the bathrooms. It is so nice to have this amazing park so close by!

Great childhood memories

Beautiful loved it there

Always beautiful, clean, and welcoming.

Seniors lifetime pass pay 3.00 to get in.

Theres nothing like the beach on a hot day

My mom and i took the sunset hike with Ranger Chris. Met up at the north end of the parking lot. Ranger Chris provided interesting facts about the history of the parks as well as info about the habitat. Finished with roasted marshmallows and beautiful sunset pictures on the beach. Great way to spend a Saturday evening for people of all ages.

Nice clean beach

We hiked succession trail then cooled off on the beach. Beach was very clean. Water was clean.

Nice trails that lead directly to the water. Great little workout.

The park itself and hiking is amazing, but if you plan on going to the beach, dont. I have seen reviews on here about how clean the beach is and how its a hidden gem, but I was seriously let down when I got there today. The beach wasnt clean at all and I have to say it is the smallest beach I have ever seen. For some reason there was no swimming, although the tides werent high at all and waves were normal for Lake Michigan. In all, if this beach is what is considered clean and a hidden gem around here, Id rather spend the $15 in gas driving up to North Beach in Racine, WI or even Kenosha.

Lots of people not wearing masks.

Got here just after 9am today. Beautiful view. Terribly dirty beach. Wood chips, rocks, etc. I know its supposed to be natural, but its unsafe for walking or sitting on. We started setting up, and took our stuff down just as quickly. Total disappointment. $6...for our 1/2 hour visit.Shower facilities were huge and clean though.

I went there for a concert by the NWI Symphony. What an awesome concert! They had variety in their music and Kirk is always a great conductor and MC! Great job having them perform at the West Beach!

I love this beach. Secluded and gorgeous. I dont like all the rocks at the waters edge and it was quite a hike to the car.

How can you have a bad thing to say about the dunes. Always a Midwest treasure. A must if your in the Region! Went to see the Northwest Indiana Symphony under the stars! Phenomenal!

Ive been several times. Its nice and clean. When its hot, it is packed and you have to search for a place to spread out. When its off season, no one is there. Beware. The parking lot is big, but it is quite a walk along a path, through the beach house and den the stairs to the beach. If you are carrying a cooler, blankets, shade tent, towels, and food; the walk is even longer. Most people have a wagon, but the wheels dont work in the sand. The sand is very, very loose and difficult to walk in. When its hot its quite a workout walking along the beach to find a place to sit. Then a major workout to get all your stuff back to the car. Its easy to lose balance walking in the sand and it is very, very hot and will burn your feet. You will get sand everywhere. But there are showers in the bathhouse. The water is very, very cold; even when its hot out. Oh, I forgot to mention the biting flies. Not a relaxing, fun day at the beach.

A few different beaches to choose from. West Beach has a grilling area on the other side of the parking lot.

Mass of humanity.

Great time, and great trail to the beach

So nice

Going too work out here

Nice parking lot! Plenty of room

Clean, beautiful beach. Usually crowded, but plenty of room. Parking was $6 for all day parking. Lots of hiking trails. Expect to do a lot of walking. At least 1/4 to 1/2 mile. Big shower house and food trucks on site.

Beautiful!!!

A bit of a walk from the parking lot and beach can be very crowded on got weekends especially holiday weekends. Overall a fun time and kid friendly.

Claims to be Family Friendly. Its not at all. If I added a picture it would be removed for being R-rated. Thats NOT family friendly.

Our second stop on a 12000ml road trip around the USA. The place was all but empty, so no problems parking or getting around.We started with lunch from the chuck wagon (great and good value) then we walked out to the beach area via the lakeshore facilities(excellent) where I took a dip. What a surprise warm and not salty, because its a lake and not the sea, brilliant.

Great day. Beautiful place to take your family

Super crowded some days but cant blame people for wanting to get some sun! Good location to bring my dog.

Hidden gem, lots of fun hiking trails, Long Beach Kos, and fun places to swim Good services, beach houses, and facilities well staffed with lifeguards during the summerFree From Labor Day to memorial day it’s free

We only went to the beach but from what we saw, we will be going back and doing some hiking.

Editing my review as we spent a few hours hiking the dunes succession trail, one of the most beautiful trails according to me in the newest NP of the country. While the bath house is not open year around, the NPS facility just a quarter mile away hopefully will be open year round. Should go back there in winter/spring to view the migrating water birds.

I live to hike here. Very nice boardwalk.

Nice beach, lifeguards can be nasty, but still a great place to tan. Long walk to get to the beach....worth it.

A gem within driving distance. Great for a cheap day away to paradise.

Gorgeous lake view!!

Clean, not over crowded access for strollers and wheelchairs

Like your own private beach...... awesome....fills up fast

Awesome trails to hike and a beautiful beach. You can even see Chicago from the beach.

Beautiful place to visit. Plenty of parking if you visit week days.

Well kept up beach. Nice size locker rooms/bathrooms

The rason why I love living in NWI.

Nice beach just really crowded

It is a nice little beach with decent bathrooms and showers but the walk to the beach was a pain because its a good walk from parking lot. But its a good beach for just getting out of Chicago for a few hours.

Great stair workout. Beaches need to be cleaned of debris

Saturday beach closes at 10pm.. life guards announce at 5:30pm they are leaving..Swim at your own risk!

There were tree branches sticking out from the sand everywhere, there were all kinds of bugs, meat eating bugs that wouldn’t leave us alone, there are signs posted saying no alcoholic beverages yet people showed up with coolers full of beer, there were also individuals smoking all around the beach. It was a horrible experience and I will not return or recommend it to anyone.

Love this place. Clean and beautiful

So nice

Love that there is still a clean beach to spend time at

Changing facilities and wash room. $6.00 parking fees.

Very nice view n a family place but very crowded on Memorial Day weekend

Great place execpt wood chunks

Had a woderful time great place.

Just watched an excellent symphony! Cant say nothing bad about it other that they kept doing Michael Jackson songs?!?!

I am bias. But the trails and views are beautiful.

Beautiful dunes, pleasant - clean and warm - water.

Nice beach plenty of parking and food trucks when leaving