Summer is here, and the road is calling. Ready to enjoy our country’s national beauty? There are several national parks within an easy six-hour drive of Chicago. Join me on a tour of our national parks close to home that are perfect road trips for dad and family this summer.
Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana
approximately one-and-a-half-hour drive from Chicago
Close to home and with 50 miles of trails along the Lake Michigan shoreline with dunes, savannahs, prairies, and wetlands, Indiana Dunes National Park has a lot to offer. You can make epic sandcastles during the summer and snowshoe in the winter. You can enjoy gorgeous colors in the fall and add several birds to your life list during the spring migration. Gaze across the lake and see the Chicago skyline shimmering in the distance. Camping, fishing, horseback riding, and stargazing… and home in 90 minutes!
The Indiana Dunes visitor center is open every day except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The Junior Rangers in my family searched for animal tracks and learned about the Potawatomi people to receive their official Junior Ranger Badge.
Gateway Arch National Park
approximately five-hour drive from Chicago
Synonymous with the St. Louis skyline, the Arch is nicknamed the “Gateway to the West.” According to the National Park Service website, the Arch is the largest human-built monument in the US, standing at 630 feet tall. 630 is a magic number for the Arch, as the distance from “leg to leg” on the ground is also 630 feet.
You can take a tram to the top (the 1,076 stairs are for security personnel and emergency use only) after visiting the free museum below the Arch. Galleries depict life in colonial Missouri, Thomas Jefferson’s charge to Lewis and Clark, and details about the Arch’s construction. The surrounding park covers 91 acres and spans all the way to the mighty Mississippi River. It’s the perfect place for a picnic with the family. One quick side note: The nearby Old Courthouse is currently in the late stages of a multi-million-dollar renovation plan and will reopen in Summer 2025.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
approximately six-hour drive from Chicago
This scenic park is just thirty minutes from downtown Cleveland, so our baseball-loving family enjoyed nature before taking in a Guardians game. Our first stop was the breathtaking Brandywine Falls, roaring steadily after spring-time rains. The path to the falls is on an elevated boardwalk where you can spot wildlife, dramatic plants, and several colorful species of spiders, while not interrupting the natural terrain.
At the main visitor center, we asked the ranger for a moderate 2-mile hike. He asked our sons if they wanted to try the cliffs. Are there really cliffs in Ohio? Indeed! The Ledges Trail was our children’s favorite part of the trip, rocky and unpaved with elevation changes of eighty feet. With the beautiful forest canopy and the “high” cliffs offering stunning views, we almost forgot about our baseball game later in the day.
Mammoth Cave National Park
approximately six-hour drive from Chicago
A bucket list for many national park aficionados, Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest known cave system. According to the National Park Service’s website, the cave has currently been mapped and explored at 426 miles long.
Book early for specific ranger-led tours, from the classic Historic Tour to longer and more challenging tours for advanced spelunkers. You’ll work up a sweat, but remember the cave is a mild 54 degrees no matter what the weather is like at the surface. Be ready to duck, dive, twist, and turn through passages like Fat Man’s Misery and Tall Man’s Agony.
If caving is not your style, enjoy winding hiking trails on the surface along with canoeing, horseback riding, camping, and stargazing. With amazing flora and fauna throughout the rolling fields of Kentucky, Mammoth Cave is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
So, ready to take a hike? Pack your sturdy shoes and refillable water bottle and get ready to start making memories. Lifetime passes are available to seniors ages 62 and up and military veterans or Gold Star Family members. Do you have a fourth grader in your house? All fourth-grade students qualify for free entrance to National Parks as part of the “Every Kid Outdoors” program. Hit the road and enjoy these national parks close to home.
Visit NPS.Gov for additional information.
Summer is Here and the Road Beckons with Four Destinations Dad is Going to Love.