Can I fly a drone at Indiana Dunes National Park?
Lake Michigan dunes 50 miles from Chicago — one of the newest national parks (designated 2019) and immediately added to the NPS drone ban list.
Why drone pilots want to shoot here
Mount Baldy dune. Lake Michigan shoreline. The dune ridges at sunset.
Where you CAN fly nearby
Adjacent USFS, BLM, and state-managed land that typically permits drone use with appropriate rules.
Indiana Dunes State Park (with permit)
Indiana State Parks drone permit program; the state park is a separate unit from the national park, with different rules.
Lake County and Porter County beaches
Outside park boundary. Class G airspace; drones allowed subject to general rules.
Hoosier National Forest (further south)
USFS land in southern Indiana. Drones in non-Wilderness areas allowed.
FAQ — Indiana Dunes National Park
Can I fly drones at Indiana Dunes National Park?
No. NPS-wide ban applies despite the park's recent designation.
Is Indiana Dunes State Park different?
Yes — different unit, different rules. State park drone permit program available; check current Indiana State Parks rules before flying.
Can I fly along the Lake Michigan shore?
Outside both the national park and state park boundaries, town and county beaches generally permit drones subject to local rules.
Where's the closest legal alternative for similar views?
Lake County beaches outside the park, or further into Michigan — South Haven, Saugatuck — for similar Lake Michigan dune-and-beach landscape.
Other national parks
Park boundaries can be irregular. Verify the boundary of any alternative location before flying — adjacent USFS / BLM Wilderness areas have their own drone ban under different statute. Altoa is not the FAA or NPS.