Skip to content

Best Coastal Hikes in Indiana

The directory currently contains 6 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Indiana. Their average mapped distance is 5.6 km and average recorded ascent is 37 m (121 ft); the longest route in the set is 13.5 km.

This subset represents 3% of the 204 quality-checked routes in Indiana. Its average distance is 5.6 km, compared with 11.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 37 m (121 ft), versus 97 m (318 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

These routes carry the coastal tag. Tide dependency, cliff exposure and beach access are not inferred from that tag. Within this set, 3 routes (50%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 1 (17%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.8 km

Beach Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Beach Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

1 recorded loop

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Indiana Dunes St Park beach
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Typical duration
10 min
  • Coastal
Moderate

Indiana · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
21 min
  • Coastal
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
3.9 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
66 m
Typical duration
55 min
  • Coastal

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
DLT q - Mt. Baldy to Long BeachIndiana7.7 km7 m1 hr 37 minEasyApril to October
DLT r - Long Beach to New BuffaloIndiana13.5 km42 m2 hr 52 minModerateApril to October
Beach TrailIndiana0.8 km0 m10 minEasyApril to October
West Beach Trail - Three LoopsIndiana6.0 km77 m1 hr 22 minModerateApril to October
West North Shore LoopIndiana1.4 km28 m21 minModerateApril to October
Beach Road AccessIndiana3.9 km66 m55 minEasyApril to October

DLT q - Mt. Baldy to Long Beach, DLT r - Long Beach to New Buffalo, West Beach Trail - Three Loops currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

People also search for