Visitors can hike the Miller Woods trails in Gary's Miller neighborhood without paying an entrance fee.

The National Park Service (NPS) has waived entrance fees for the Douglas Center Loop and Paul H. Douglas Trail at Miller Woods, both accessible from the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education at 100 North Lake Street, according to the Chicago Tribune. The change lets visitors see the center's exhibits and join ranger-led activities without purchasing a park entrance pass.

The fee waiver applies only to the Miller Woods trails associated with the Douglas Center. Standard entrance fees, including the $25 vehicle pass or $15 walk-in pass, still apply at other Indiana Dunes National Park locations, according to PanoramaNOW.

What's on the trails

Miller Woods offers two options. The Douglas Center Loop is an easy 0.9-mile path circling wetlands near the center, taking about 30 minutes. The Paul H. Douglas Trail stretches 3.4 miles round trip through a globally rare black oak savanna, past towering sand dunes and inter-dunal wetlands, all the way to the Lake Michigan shoreline. Allow about two hours for the longer route.

The park offers ranger-led hikes that start at the Douglas Center and follow the trail to the lake. Hike lengths vary depending on the interest and abilities of visitors. The NPS recommends sturdy shoes, water and insect repellent.

Acting Superintendent Leo Lestino said in a news release that "this change gives us more ways to connect children and families with the park and help them understand why these places deserve our care."

Why it matters locally

The Miller Beach area holds 1,800 acres of national park land, according to PanoramaNOW. The trails connect to the South Shore Line's Miller station and the Marquette Greenway bike trail.

Indiana Dunes National Park, redesignated from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 2019, spans 15,000 acres and 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline across Northwest Indiana. Attendance has grown from 1.7 million visitors to more than 3 million since the name change, according to the NPS fees page.

Ranger-led hikes through Miller Woods are offered on a recurring basis. For the current schedule and program details, call the Paul H. Douglas Center at 219-395-1882.