Erosion to the Central Avenue Beach at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore has led to its closure for the foreseeable future/NPS

Wave action at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Indiana has forced the National Park Service to close the Central Avenue Beach for the foreseeable future due to erosion.

Lakeshore officials say erosion from Lake Michigan's large waves took out what little sand was left at the beach. The result is an 8-foot drop-off from the access path down to a mix of clay and asphalt chunks from an old road bed.

Due to these dangerous conditions, Central Avenue Beach and its parking lot have been closed. The area will be monitored and reopened after the beach sand has been replenished through natural deposition from the lake.  The continuing high water level of Lake Michigan makes the reopening of the beach in the near future highly unlikely, lakeshore staff said. 

The ranger-led Sunset Hikes at Central Avenue Beach that are scheduled every Wednesday night and on selected Saturdays during the summer will be moved to Kemil Beach. For more information on these programs, call the national lakeshore’s information desk at 219-395-1882 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. 

Despite this closure, more than 13 miles of beach remain open to the public. National lakeshore beaches that remain open include West Beach, Porter, Kemil, Dunbar and Lakeview. In addition, the neighboring Indiana Dunes State Park remains fully open to the public.