Death Valley and Indiana Dunes National Parks are two diverse destinations with contrasting landscapes, wildlife, and activities. Death Valley stuns visitors with its otherworldly landscape, extreme heat, and endless sunshine, while Indiana Dunes boasts miles of pristine beaches, verdant forests, and rolling sand dunes. Both parks offer a chance to escape the city, but offer vastly different experiences – from hiking to camping to simply taking in the breathtaking views. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or just looking for a quick escape, Death Valley and Indiana Dunes promise to leave a lasting impression. So, grab your bags and get ready to discover two of America’s most unique and beautiful national parks!
Hiking Trails in Death Valley National Park and Indiana Dunes National Park
Death Valley and Indiana Dunes National Parks offer diverse hiking options for nature lovers. Death Valley offers a challenging backcountry experience with trails like Telescope Peak, an 11-mile round-trip hike with panoramic views of the park. Indiana Dunes, on the other hand, provides a mix of landscapes, including sandy beaches and lush forests, and easier hikes such as the 0.5-mile paved trail to Mount Baldy for lake views. It also has more strenuous options like a 4-mile Cowles Bog hike, which passes through unique ecosystems. Both parks offer a range of trails, from easy to strenuous, showcasing unique and stunning landscapes.
Most Popular Hiking Trails in Death Valley National Park
| Name | Length | Elevation | Type | Difficulty | Visitor Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badwater Basin Salt Flats Trail | 2896.812 | 2.7432 | Easy | out and back | 4.5 |
| Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes Trail | 4506.152 | 62.7888 | Easy | out and back | 4.5 |
| Zabriskie Point | 643.736 | 15.8496 | Easy | out and back | 4.5 |
| Dante’s View Trail | 2574.944 | 109.728 | Easy | out and back | 4.5 |
| Telescope Peak Trail | 19312.08 | 1012.8504 | Hard | out and back | 4.5 |
| Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral | 4667.086 | 174.9552 | Moderate | out and back | 4.5 |
| Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch Loop via Zabriskie Point | 9334.172 | 332.8416 | Moderate | loop | 4.5 |
| Mosaic Canyon Trail | 5632.69 | 324.9168 | Easy | out and back | 4 |
| Death Valley Natural Bridge Road | 6920.162 | 304.8 | Easy | out and back | 4 |
| Darwin Falls Trail via Old Toll Road | 3057.746 | 68.8848 | Easy | out and back | 4 |
Most Popular Hiking Trails in Indiana Dunes National Park
| Name | Length | Elevation | Type | Difficulty | Visitor Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowles Bog Trail | 6920.162 | 64.9224 | Moderate | loop | 4.5 |
| Little Calumet River Trail Loop | 6276.426 | 50.9016 | Moderate | loop | 4 |
| West Beach Loop with Scallop Dunes and Long Lake Trail | 5471.756 | 78.9432 | Moderate | loop | 4 |
| Dune Succession and West Beach Walk | 4345.218 | 43.8912 | Easy | out and back | 4.5 |
| West Beach Loop | 1770.274 | 28.956 | Easy | loop | 4 |
| Miller Woods Trail | 6115.492 | 40.8432 | Easy | out and back | 4.5 |
| Dune Ridge Trail | 1448.406 | 26.8224 | Moderate | loop | 4 |
| Tolleston Dunes | 5149.888 | 52.7304 | Moderate | loop | 4 |
| Beach Trail to Waverly Beach | 1609.34 | 5.7912 | Easy | out and back | 4 |
| Indiana’s Lake Michigan Shoreline Scenic Drive | 35083.612 | 84.7344 | Moderate | point to point | 3.5 |
Wildlife in Death Valley National Park and Indiana Dunes National Park
Death Valley NP & Indiana Dunes NP are both unique with their own wildlife. Death Valley NP has a desert climate & is home to bighorn sheep, coyotes, kit foxes, roadrunners. Indiana Dunes NP located near Lake Michigan has temperate climate & is home to deer, muskrats, waterfowl, eagles, hawks. Both parks have reptiles & amphibians, but Death Valley NP also has desert tortoises & chuckwallas. Plants in Death Valley NP mostly comprise of cacti & desert-adapted species, while Indiana Dunes NP has mix of dune plants, prairie grasses, & forests.
Below are lists of the most commonly spotted wildlife at Death Valley National Park and Indiana Dunes National Park. However, you can see a full list of wildlife at each national park here.
Birds
| Death Valley National Park | Indiana Dunes National Park |
|---|---|
| Peregrine Falcon | Peregrine Falcon |
| Northern Harrier | Northern Harrier |
| Sharp-Shinned Hawk | Sharp-Shinned Hawk |
| Osprey | Osprey |
| Tree Swallow | Tree Swallow |
| Mallard | Mallard |
| Canada Goose | Canada Goose |
| Lincoln’s Sparrow | Lincoln’s Sparrow |
| Ruby-Crowned Kinglet | Ruby-Crowned Kinglet |
| American Robin | American Robin |
| Great Horned Owl | Great Horned Owl |
| Red-Tailed Hawk | Red-Tailed Hawk |
| Northern Flicker | Northern Flicker |
| Merlin | Merlin |
| Barn Swallow | Barn Swallow |
| Savannah Sparrow | Savannah Sparrow |
| Great Blue Heron | Great Blue Heron |
| Hermit Thrush | Hermit Thrush |
| American Kestrel | American Kestrel |
| Bald Eagle | Bald Eagle |
| Song Sparrow | Song Sparrow |
| European Starling | European Starling |
| Northern Pintail | Northern Pintail |
| American Wigeon | American Wigeon |
| Green-Winged Teal | Green-Winged Teal |
Mammals
| Death Valley National Park | Indiana Dunes National Park |
|---|---|
| Coyote | Coyote |
| Muskrat | American Beaver |
| Big Brown Bat | Muskrat |
| Bobcat | Big Brown Bat |
| Little Brown Bat | Bobcat |
| Deer Mouse | Striped Skunk |
| Raccoon | Little Brown Bat |
| Porcupine | Deer Mouse |
| Silver-Haired Bat | Raccoon |
| Hoary Bat | Black Bear |
| House Mouse | Silver-Haired Bat |
| Mountain Lion | Hoary Bat |
| Mule Deer | Red Fox |
| Gray Fox | Long-Tailed Weasel |
| Long-Legged Myotis | House Mouse |
| Long-Eared Myotis | Mink |
| Badger | Gray Fox |
| Californian Myotis | North American River Otter |
| Fringed Myotis | Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat |
| Common Shrew | White-Tailed Deer |
| Mexican Free-Tailed Bat | Virginia Opossum |
| Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat | Eastern Red Bat |
| Bushy-Tailed Woodrat | White-Footed Mouse |
| Western Harvest Mouse | Norway Rat |
| Western Small-Footed Myotis | Eastern Cottontail |
Reptiles
| Death Valley National Park | Indiana Dunes National Park |
|---|---|
| Gopher Snake | |
| Terrestrial Gartersnake | |
| Ring-Necked Snake | |
| Common Sagebrush Lizard | |
| Common Side-Blotched Lizard | |
| Rubber Boa | |
| Long-Nosed Leopard Lizard | |
| Smith������S Black-Headed Snake | |
| Tree Lizard | |
| Eastern Fence Lizard | |
| Glossy Snake | |
| Long-Nosed Snake | |
| Western Fence Lizard |
Insects
| Death Valley National Park | Indiana Dunes National Park |
|---|---|
| Orange Sulphur | |
| Painted Lady | |
| Monarch Butterfly | |
| American Lady | |
| Red Admiral | |
| Mourning Cloak | |
| Cabbage White | |
| Silvery Blue | |
| Common Checkered-Skipper | |
| Clouded Sulphur | |
| Honey Bee | |
| Variegated Fritillary | |
| Buckeye | |
| Purplish Copper | |
| Gray Hairstreak |
Fish
| Death Valley National Park | Indiana Dunes National Park |
|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Largemouth Bass |
| Mosquitofish | Green Sunfish |
| Goldfish | Bluegill |
| Fathead Minnow | |
| Golden Shiner | |
| European Carp | |
| Yellow Bullhead | |
| Graceful Catfish | |
| Black Crappie | |
| Black Bullhead | |
| Mosquitofish | |
| Creek Chub | |
| Brown Bullhead | |
| Goldfish | |
| Smallmouth Bass |
Amphibians
| Death Valley National Park | Indiana Dunes National Park |
|---|---|
| Woodhouse’s Toad | Bullfrog |
| Canyon Treefrog |
Beautiful Landscapes in Death Valley National Park and Indiana Dunes National Park
Death Valley is famous for Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America and its surrounding salt flats. It also has the Panamint Range, offering hiking and views. Zabriskie Point is a scenic overlook with panoramic views of the park’s unique geological formations. Indiana Dunes is on the southern shore of Lake Michigan and known for its dynamic sand dunes, some reaching 200 ft high, including Mount Baldy, a popular spot for hiking and sand-boarding. The park offers scenic trails, boardwalks, and beaches and has wetlands, prairies, and oak savannas, providing habitats for diverse wildlife, including threatened species.
Things To-Do and Activities in Death Valley National Park and Indiana Dunes National Park
Death Valley NP and Indiana Dunes NP offer different recreational experiences. Death Valley is known for extreme heat, vast deserts, unique geological formations, scenic drives, hiking, and stargazing. IND Dunes is located on Lake Michigan and offers diverse ecosystems, sand dunes, wetlands, forests, beaches, bird-watching, fishing, kayaking, and hiking. Both parks offer ranger-led activities, camping, picnic areas and education programs (Inn at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, Dunes Learning Center in IND Dunes).
Best Time to Visit Death Valley National Park and Indiana Dunes National Park
Death Valley NP in California and Indiana Dunes NP in Indiana have vastly different climates. Death Valley, located in a desert, has scorching hot and dry summers with temperatures reaching up to 120°F, while winters are mild with occasional rain. Conversely, Indiana Dunes experiences humid summers with temperatures in the 80s°F and cold, snowy winters. The best time to visit Death Valley is in winter, with mild temperatures and low chance of rain, while Indiana Dunes is best enjoyed in summer, with warm temperatures and the cooling effect of Lake Michigan. These differing weather patterns impact the available activities, such as hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing.
Family Friendliness of Death Valley National Park and Indiana Dunes National Park
Death Valley and Indiana Dunes both offer unique experiences for families, but for different reasons. Death Valley is a vast desert area with scenic drives and outdoor activities such as hiking and nature walks. On the other hand, Indiana Dunes has miles of sandy beaches along Lake Michigan, as well as hiking and camping opportunities in its extensive dune ecosystem. If you’re traveling with children, Indiana Dunes may be a better option as it offers more hands-on experiences such as beach play, fishing, and educational programs.