🥾 ActiveLong weekend · from Chicago, IL
Dunes, Trails & River Forests
Three days through Indiana's outdoor corridor, each park a different ecosystem. Indiana Dunes National Park (one hour from Chicago) protects 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and the Dune Succession Trail — a 3-mile loop climbing 200-foot dunes with the Chicago skyline visible from the top on clear days. Pokagon State Park in Angola, IN anchors day 2: a glacially carved lake system, swimming beach, and the year-round refrigerated toboggan run — a 700-foot chute that operates well into late autumn. Kankakee River State Park brings the trip home through river canyon trails and limestone ravines 60 miles south of the city.
Day 1 — Indiana Dunes National ParkDay 2 — Pokagon State ParkDay 3 — Kankakee River State Park
Day 1 — Indiana Dunes National Park
Day 1 — Indiana Dunes National Park
🚗 1 hr 11 min driving📍 5 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Chicago, IL → Indiana Dunes National Park
1 hr 1 min8:00 AM → 9:01 AM
Indiana Dunes National Park
★ 4.6Upgraded from a national lakeshore to a full national park in 2019 — 15,000 acres protecting 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline an hour southeast of Chicago. The Dune Succession Trail compresses 10,000 years of ecological change into a 3-mile loop: bare beach sand through dune grass, shrub, and three forest stages to the 200-foot crest, where the Chicago skyline appears on clear days. Swimming and kayak access from the same trailhead as the dune trails.
9:01 AM📍 See location
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Lunch
🍽️ Lunch10:01 AM
Lucrezia Café
A longtime Indiana Dunes-area favourite serving classic Italian — house-made pastas, thin-crust pizzas, and tiramisu in a warm, candlelit room. Reliable, generous, and always busy on weekends.
2 options · tap to switch
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Afternoon
Indiana Dunes State Park
★ 4.7Climb the towering sand dunes and descend to the Lake Michigan shoreline on the 3-mile Dune Succession Trail, experiencing dramatic elevation changes and sweeping water views.
12:00 PM📍 See location
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Evening
🚗
Drive
Indiana Dunes State Park → Wagner's Ribs
10 min5:00 PM → 5:10 PM
🍽️ Dinner5:10 PM
Wagner's Ribs
Satisfy your craving for fall-off-the-bone ribs and classic BBQ at this legendary roadside joint that locals have been raving about for decades.
3 options · tap to switch
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Serenity Springs
Private lakeside and woodland cabins in northwest Indiana, close to Indiana Dunes National Park — a genuinely nature-immersed overnight that feels nothing like suburban Chicago. The ponds and forest set a very different pace from the dunes themselves.
Day 2 — Pokagon State Park
Day 2 — Pokagon State Park
🚗 3 hr 39 min driving📍 6 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Indiana Dunes National Park → Pokagon State Park
2 hr8:00 AM → 10:00 AM
Pokagon State Park
★ 4.7Park includes a swimming beach, guided horse rides, toboggan run, nature center, campsites & inn.
10:00 AM📍 See location
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Lunch
🍽️ Lunch11:00 AM
Jed’s BBQ & Brew of Angola
A northern Indiana BBQ and brewery that covers both bases well — smoked meats and craft beer in a laid-back setting. An honest midday stop on any Indiana lakes trip.
2 options · tap to switch
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Afternoon
Pokagon State Park Toboggan Run
★ 4.6Ride vintage wooden toboggans down an icy 700-foot chute during winter, launching onto the frozen lake for an exhilarating splash-down finale.
12:00 PM📍 See location
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Evening
🚗
Drive
Pokagon State Park Toboggan Run → Village Kitchen
9 min5:00 PM → 5:09 PM
Village Kitchen
★ 4.6Dig into home-cooked comfort food at this Angola staple — hearty, satisfying plates that hit the spot after a full day of lakeside trails and toboggan runs.
5:09 PM📍 See location
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Drive
Village Kitchen → Chicago South Suburbs
1 hr 30 min6:09 PM → 7:39 PM
Hoppy Pig
★ 4.3A Bourbonnais brewpub with a solid rotating craft tap list and a menu that goes well beyond pub food — smash burgers, wings, and better-than-expected fish tacos in a laid-back room. A reliable dinner stop after a full day on the Kankakee River trails, with an outdoor patio that works in good weather.
7:39 PM📍 See location
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Overnight in Kankakee
Kankakee has a handful of independent motels and chain options; stay centrally to keep the morning drive to the river trails short.
Day 3 — Kankakee River State Park
Day 3 — Kankakee River State Park
🚗 2 hr 9 min driving📍 4 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Chicago South Suburbs → Kankakee River State Park
1 hr8:00 AM → 9:00 AM
Kankakee River State Park
★ 4.7Paddle down the scenic Kankakee River or bike its picturesque trails, discovering hidden natural beauty and peaceful waterways just beyond Chicago's reach.
9:00 AM📍 See location
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Lunch
Brickstone Brewery
★ 4.3A Bourbonnais, IL brewery with a full food menu of pub staples done reliably. The house beers are the draw, and the patio is a solid place to recharge mid-trip.
10:00 AM📍 See location
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Afternoon
🚗
Drive
Kankakee River State Park → Rock Creek Trail
4 min12:00 PM → 12:04 PM
Rock Creek Trail
★ 4.8Trek through lush forest canyons along this scenic ravine trail, crossing wooden bridges and spotting cascading waterfalls tucked into shaded limestone walls.
12:04 PM📍 See location
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Evening
🚗
Drive
Rock Creek Trail → Jimbo's
2 min5:00 PM → 5:02 PM
Jimbo's
★ 4.7Grab casual, satisfying Italian beef sandwiches and local favorites at this no-frills gem that captures authentic Chicago-area food culture away from the downtown crowds.
5:02 PM📍 See location
🚗
Drive
Jimbo's → Chicago, IL
1 hr 3 min6:02 PM → 7:05 PM
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