Top sand dunes
Sand DunesMount Baldy
Sand DunesHoosier Slide
Sand DunesCalumet Dunes Trail
Sand DunesSeidner Dune and Swale Nature Preserve (Minor)
Sand DunesMiller Woods - Indiana Dunes National Park Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)
Sand DunesGibson Woods Nature Preserve Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)
Sand DunesClark and Pine Nature Preserve Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)
Sand DunesIndiana Dunes National Park Tolleston Dune and Swale Complex
Sand DunesCline Avenue Nature Preserve Dune and Swale Complex (Minor)
Sand DunesTolleston Ridge Nature Preserve Dune and Swale Complex
Sand Dunes by county
Map
How to photograph sand dunes
Dunes need low sun: ripples and ridgelines only appear when side-light casts shadows, so shoot within an hour of sunrise or sunset.
- Walk along ridges rather than across faces to avoid leaving footprints in your future compositions.
- A telephoto isolates S-curves and layered ridges.
- Wind erases tracks overnight — mornings have the cleanest sand.
- Protect gear from blowing sand; avoid changing lenses in the wind.
- Sand surfaces get extremely hot in summer afternoons.
Season: Spring and autumn for comfortable temperatures; full moon nights give soft light on the sand.