[mcstumper]

Starting from the State Line and heading west to Mt. Baldy, where are the public access points to Lake Michigan? Are the "public" sites in towns like Shoreland Hills and Michiana Shores restricted to residents of those towns? I would also like to know whether there is non-resident parking available. Honestly, the only two places I am comfortable going to are Washington Park and Mt. Baldy, which is sad.

Is there really public access from Beachwalk?

What about the NIPSCO beach or all of that huge beach to the west of NIPSCO? If it is open, how do I access it?

[Ang]

I think (I could be wrong) that it's all public access from stop 7 to WP. Stop 7 is Beachwalk IIRC.
Also, the beach on the other side of Nipsco can only be gotten to by boat. There used to be a nice lagoon back there hidden from plain site, but that was more than 20 years ago so I don't know if it's still there. It was a popular spot for teens (whose parents would let them use a boat) to hang out.
That's all I know. DON'T go to Beverly Shores and try to use their beach (except for the public beach where the Red Lantern used to be) because they will give you a $50 ticket--speaking from experience--and there are no signs marking Lake Front Drive as residential access only.



**I could be wrong or things could have changed by now, but I'm sure there is someone out there who won't hesitate to correct me. **

[edgeywood]

I think (I could be wrong) that it's all public access from stop 7 to WP. Stop 7 is Beachwalk IIRC.
Also, the beach on the other side of Nipsco can only be gotten to by boat. There used to be a nice lagoon back there hidden from plain site, but that was more than 20 years ago so I don't know if it's still there. It was a popular spot for teens (whose parents would let them use a boat) to hang out.
That's all I know. DON'T go to Beverly Shores and try to use their beach (except for the public beach where the Red Lantern used to be) because they will give you a $50 ticket--speaking from experience--and there are no signs marking Lake Front Drive as residential access only.
**I could be wrong or things could have changed by now, but I'm sure there is someone out there who won't hesitate to correct me. **

There's is a small city parking lot near Stop 2, I think.

Yeah, the folks in Beverly Shores think that the beach is theirs! It's actually owned by us! (well, it's National Park property). The problem that Ang indicated is parking. There are a 4 NPS parking areas in Beverly Shores; Kemil Beach, Dunbar, Lakeview and Central.

Scroll down this page for directions to the above parking areas.

http://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/maps.htm

[Ang]

You need a WP sticker to park at Stop 2, and it IS patrolled.

[Roger Kaputnik]

There is some public parking thereabouts.

[Ang]

On the streets, yeah, but be careful about that too because some areas are private parking only for the residents.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Even where the beach is privately owned, the public owns and may access the edge of the land to the customary high-water line. So, you may walk along the water from Washington Park to the IN/MI state line.