Festival Locations
2023 Festival Locations for Check-In and Events
This information is accurate for the 2023 Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, May 11-14th in Porter, IN. Please use this as a guide for your trip planning and we'll see you at the festival!
Festival Headquarters
Indiana Dunes National Park Visitor Center
1215 N. State Road 49
Porter, IN 46304
Your one-stop shop for all things about the festival and a gateway into the Indiana Dunes country! You'll find the check-in and swag table inside the Visitor Center. Plus, we'll have the Migration Marketplace and food vendors outside in the parking lot. Have a question? Stop by and ask us!
Arrival Information
Name Badges
Your name badge is your pass to all festival events including headliners, presentations, and any field trips/sessions you have signed up for. All festival participants are required to wear their name badges at all times while attending the festival. You will receive your name badge at check-in.
Show your name badge to the Indiana Dunes State Park attendant to get in free, too!
Check-In Information
All festival participants are required to check-in at the Visitor Center prior to attending any festival related events. When you get into town, make sure to do the following:
1. Enter the Visitor Center building, under the "Welcome Birders" sign and look to your left for the festival table
2. Meet one of our awesome volunteers to check in! You will only need your first and last name, but having your confirmation number is handy in case of technological glitches.
3. Receive your festival name badge with a swag bag and start enjoying the festival!
Visitor Center Check-In Hours
Wednesday, May 10: 4-8pm*
Thursday, May 11: 5:30am-4pm
Friday, May 12: 5:30am-4pm
Saturday, May 13: 5:30am-4pm
Sunday, May 14: 5:30am-12pm
*Pre-festival participants will be checked in prior to departure of their trips in the morning on Wednesday.
Other Important Locations
Indiana Dunes State Park Nature Center
1618 Indiana Dunes State ParkChesterton, IN 46304
This location is used for some afternoon presentations and the Saturday Youth & Family Day event. When you enter the park, ask for a map to lead you to the Nature Center.
Sand Creek Country Club
1011 Sand Creek Dr.
Chesterton, IN 46304
This is where the Saturday keynote presentation and dinner is held.
Miller Woods Douglas Center
47-75 N Lake St,
Gary, IN 46403
This location is used for some field trips and the Saturday Youth & Family Day Outreach hike. a National Park pass is required for entry here.
All headliner presentations are held in the Visitor Center auditorium. Afternoon presentations are split between the Visitor Center and State Park Nature Center. Please check the program guide for specific locations.
National Park Passes
The Indiana Dunes National Park (INDU) began requiring entrance permits in 2022. The IDBF has a partnership to cover entrance fees for participants at the STATE park, but not avenue exists within the federal government. Participants visiting an INDU site will need to acquire an entrance pass in 2023.
National park entrance fees are NOT included in the 2023 registration fees. You can purchase your passes online or directly at the Visitor Center.
Festival Field Trips and/or Locations that Require National Park Passes
- Beverly Shores (Great Marsh, Kemil, Dunbar, Central Ave)
- Birding the Dunes with Lifer Nature Tours
- Birding the Dunes with the Urban Birder
- Cowles Bog
- Heron Rookery
- Little Calumet River
- Michiana Marsh Meander
- Miller Woods & Swale
- Owl Prowls (some)
- Pinhook Bog
- Reynolds Creek (parking at Heron Rookery at times)
- West Beach Pineries (West Beach)
- Western Indiana Dunes National Park
- Woodcock Walks (some)
Field Trip & Workshop Meeting Locations
Below is a list of field trip meeting locations. Most field trips depart from the Visitor Center, but some meet off-site at their locations. Please make sure to check your itinerary and know where you are going each morning!
Wednesday, May 10 (pre-festival)
All pre-festival trips, both morning and evening start times, depart from the Visitor Center.
Thursday, May 11
-The Longshore Tower Big Sit with Red Hill Birding: State Park Longshore/Observation Tower
-Dunes Big Morning: Visitor Center
-Lake County Wetlands & More: Visitor Center
-Cowles Bog: Visitor Center
-Indiana Dunes State Park Trail 2: State Park Wilson Shelter
-West Beach Pineries & Prairies: Visitor Center
-Bird Banding 101: State Park Wilson Shelter
-Richardson Preserve: Visitor Center
-Birding the Dunes with Lifer Nature Tours: Visitor Center
-Lake County Parks and Preserves: Visitor Center
-Warblers of Brincka-Cross Gardens: Brincka-Cross Gardens (427 E Furness Rd. Michigan City, IN 46360)
-Basics of Bird Photography at Miller Woods: Douglas Center at Miller Woods (100 N Lake St., Gary, IN 46403)
-Bird Nerds Birding Trail 2: State Park Wilson Shelter
-Pinhook Bog: Pinhook Bog (945 N Wozniak Rd, La Porte, IN 46350)
-Eggers Grove: Visitor Center
-Dunes Heron Rookery: Heron Rookery-West Engquist lot (499 E 1300 N, Chesterton, IN 46304)
-Beverly Shores Birding: Visitor Center
-Pinhook Bog with Libby Keyes: Pinhook Bog (945 N Wozniak Rd, La Porte, IN 46350)
-Birding with John Audubon: Visitor Center
-National Park Ranger Birding: Visitor Center
-Great Marsh Afternoon Birding: Visitor Center
-Dunes Afternoon Warblers: Visitor Center
-Birding Potpourri: Visitor Center
-Heron Rookery in the Afternoon: Heron Rookery-West Engquist lot (499 E 1300 N, Chesterton, IN 46304)
-Digiscoping Made Easy Workshop: Douglas Center at Miller Woods (100 N Lake St., Gary, IN 46403)
-Pinhook Bog in the Afternoon: Visitor Center
-Woodcock Ornaments with Kristina Knowski: Chesterton Art Center (115 S 4th St, Chesterton, IN 46304)
-Woodcock Sky Dance Tour: Visitor Center
-Dunes After Dark: Visitor Center
-Owl Prowl: Visitor Center
-Mothing Adventures: State Park Wilson Shelter
-Whip-poor-will Wander Tour: Visitor Center
Friday, May 12
-Sunrise Birding at Michigan City Harbor: Washington Park Beach lot (100 E. Michigan, Michigan City, IN 46360)
-Kankakee Sands Prairie Birding: Kankakee Sands Office (3294 US-41, Morocco, IN 47963)
-The Longshore Tower Big Sit with Red Hill Birding: State Park Longshore/Observation Tower
-Amy Kearns' Dunes Big Morning: Visitor Center
-Michiana Marsh Meander: Visitor Center
-Indiana Dunes State Park Trail 2: State Park Wilson Shelter
- Meadowbrook Nature Preserve: Visitor Center
- Birding the Dunes with Lifer Nature Tours: Visitor Center
- Richardson Preserve: Visitor Center
- Forsythe Park, Wolf Lake, & More: Forsythe Park (1800 Caroline Ave, Whiting, IN 46394)
- Bird Banding 101: State Park Wilson Shelter
- Pinhook Bog: Pinhook Bog (945 N Wozniak Rd, La Porte, IN 46350)
- Warblers of Brincka-Cross Gardens: Brincka-Cross Gardens (427 E Furness Rd. Michigan City, IN 46360)
- Cowles Bog: Visitor Center
- Basics of Bird Photography at Great Marsh:
- West Beach Pineries and Prairies: Visitor Center
- Reynold's Creek Wetlands and Prairie: Visitor Center
- Birding with the Brits: Visitor Center
- Beverly Shores and Great Marsh: Visitor Center
- Miller Woods and Swale: Douglas Center at Miller Woods (100 N Lake St., Gary, IN 46403)
- Dunes Heron Rookery: Heron Rookery-West Engquist lot (499 E 1300 N, Chesterton, IN 46304)
- Birding Photography Up Close: State Park Wilson Shelter
- Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve: Coffee Creek Parking (178 E Sidewalk Rd, Chesterton, IN 46304)
-Birding with John Audubon: Visitor Center
-National Park Ranger Birding: Visitor Center
- Dunes Afternoon Warblers: Visitor Center
- Beverly Shores Great Marsh (PM): Visitor Center
- Dunes Heron Rookery in the Afternoon: Visitor Center
- Woodcock Acrylic Paining with Jen Aitchison: Chesterton Art Center (115 S 4th St, Chesterton, IN 46304)
- Shorebird ID Workshop with Geoffrey Williamson: Douglas Center at Miller Woods (100 N Lake St., Gary, IN 46403)
- Let's Just Go Birding in the Afternoon: Visitor Center
- Pinhook Bog in the Afternoon: Pinhook Bog (945 N Wozniak Rd, La Porte, IN 46350)
Saturday, May 13
- Cowles Bog 100: Cowles Bog
- Little Calumet River Bottom and Mnoke Prairie: Visitor Center
- Adam Sells' Big Sit from the Longshore Tower: State Park Longshore/Observation Tower
- Dunes Big Morning: Visitor Center
- Berrien County Birding: Visitor Center
- Pinhook Bog: Pinhook Bog (945 N Wozniak Rd, La Porte, IN 46350)
- Kankakee Sands Prairie Birding: Visitor Center
- Green Birding Challenge: Visitor Center
- 3rd Annual "Naked" Birding Biathlon: Reynolds Creek Gamebird Habitat (1303 600 E, Michigan City, IN 46360)
- Indiana Dunes State Park Trail 2: State Park Wilson Shelter
- Bird Banding 101: State Park Wilson Shelter
- Reynold's Creek Gamebird Habitat Area: Visitor Center
- DuPont Natural Area: Visitor Center
- Birding the Dunes with Lifer Nature Tours: Visitor Center
- Dunes State Park Warblers: State Park Wilson Shelter
- Bendix Woods Wildflowers and Warblers: Bendix Woods (32132 IN-2, New Carlisle, IN 46552)
- Birding with a Camera at Great Marsh:
- Miller Woods and Swale: Douglas Center at Miller Woods (100 N Lake St., Gary, IN 46403)
- Indiana Dunes State Park: Visitor Center
- Richardson Preserve: Visitor Center
- Red Hill Birding the Dunes: Visitor Center
- Harbor Country Kayak Birding: New Buffalo Beach Harbor (200 Marquette Dr, New Buffalo, MI 49117)
- Great Marsh Birding: Visitor Center
- Birding Yoga at the Beach: State Park Beach
- Migrant Traps of Wolf Lake and Forsythe Park: Forsythe Park (1800 Caroline Ave, Whiting, IN 46394)
- Everglades of the North: Visitor Center
- Dunes Heron Rookery: Heron Rookery-West Engquist lot (499 E 1300 N, Chesterton, IN 46304)
- Coffee Creek: Coffee Creek Parking (178 E Sidewalk Rd, Chesterton, IN 46304)
- Explore Birding Hikes at Miller Woods: Douglas Center at Miller Woods (100 N Lake St., Gary, IN 46403)
- National Park Ranger Birding: Visitor Center
- Chair Yoga on the Festival Grounds: Visitor Center- Migration Marketplace tent
- Heron Rookery in the Afternoon: Heron Rookery-West Engquist lot (499 E 1300 N, Chesterton, IN 46304)
- Pinhook Bog in the Afternoon: Visitor Center
- Beverly Shores Great Marsh: Visitor Center
- Casual Afternoon Birding Hike: Visitor Center
- Dunes Afternoon Warblers: Visitor Center
- Bird Sounds Recording 101 Workshop: Douglas Center at Miller Woods (100 N Lake St., Gary, IN 46403)
Sunday, May 14
- Sunrise Birding at Michigan City Harbor: Washington Park Beach lot (100 E. Michigan, Michigan City, IN 46360)
- Dunes Big Morning: Visitor Center
- Cowles Bog: Visitor Center
- Finches of the Dunes: Visitor Center
- Adam Sells' Big Sit from the Longshore Tower: State Park Longshore/Observation Tower
- If You're Not Sick of Warblers Yet Tour: Visitor Center
- Indiana Dunes Stat Park Trail 2: Visitor Center
- Michiana Secretive Marsh Bird Search: Visitor Center
- Spicer Lake Nature Preserve: Spicer Lake Nature Preserve (New Carlisle, IN 46552)
- Kankakee Sands Prairie Birding: Kankakee Sands Office (3294 US-41, Morocco, IN 47963)
- Seidner Dune and Swale: Seidner Dune
- Coffee with the Birds: State Park Wilson Shelter
- Birding with a Camera at Miller Woods: Douglas Center at Miller Woods (100 N Lake St., Gary, IN 46403)
- Indiana Dunes State Park: Visitor Center
- Cowles Bog with the National Park Superintendent: Visitor Center
- Pinhook Bog: Visitor Center
- Warblers of Brincka-Cross Gardens: Brincka-Cross Gardens (427 E Furness Rd. Michigan City, IN 46360)
- Breakfast with the Birds: State Park Nature Center
- Richardson Preserve: Visitor Center
- Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve: Coffee Creek Parking (178 E Sidewalk Rd, Chesterton, IN 46304)
- National Park Ranger Birding: Visitor Center
Please check the program guide for the location of events not listed.