Battle to the Dunes Adult Bike Camping Trip w/ Family Bike Camp Out with Out Our Front Door out of Chicago, IL

A Guided Bike Ride from Chicago to Indiana Dunes National Park + CAMPING, with two days at the dunes.

Pace: Casual, option to ride together as a group. 12-15mph. Intermediate level.

Trail/Route: Paved road with minimal gravel incorporated.

Lodging: Tent (camping gear not provided). The group will stay at the Dunewood Campsite (IN Dunes National Park) located near Dunbar beach in Beverly Shores, IN 46301 (map).

Itinerary:

Day 1: 75 Miles | Day 2: 55 miles

Support: Semi supported – you carry the majority of your own camping gear etc. on your own bike. OPTIONAL: (The organizers will allow 1 school-size backpack to be carried in our support vehicle to lighten your load.)

Meals: More info below

Lunch stop on Day 1: Restaurant in Hobart IN

Lunch stop on day 2: The Grindhouse Café in Whiting IN

TRIP DESCRIPTION

This is a challenging yet very doable bike ride. For this ride, Out Our Front Door guides will give you an in-depth tour of the South Eastern Chicago and Northwestern Indiana region. The group will travel from the heart of Chicago to Indiana Dunes State Park and back and will learn about the history of steel manufacturing, the regional nature, bridges, beaches and dunes.

The Lake Michigan shoreline of Southern Chicago and Northwestern Indiana reveal the marks of a century-long conflict over land use in the region. Sand dunes, steel mills, power lines, marshland, and a commercial harbor battled for and shared a ten-mile stretch along the lakeshore. The group will learn about the struggle for a National Park and discover the birthplace of ecology, the rise of steel manufacturing, and the geological forces that shaped this land.

Travel back in time to the 1893’s World’s Fair as the group cruises along Chicago’s world-class museum campuses, Daniel Burnham Park, Jackson Park and the beginnings of green spaces in Chicago. The group will pop to the famous Calumet Fisheries, one of the last remaining wood-smoked seafood shacks in Illinois, for a mouth-watering snack.

And most important of all, spend an evening enjoying that oh so lovely lake and habitats of our region’s only national park.

Read more about the 2023 adventure in the blog post here.

Location: