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.
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 National Park Service has approve an entrance fee for Indiana Dunes National Park (INDU) beginning on March 31, 2022. The IDBF has an arrangement 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 Required National Park Passes
- Beverly Shores
- Birding the Dunes with Lifer Nature Tours
- Birding the Dunes with the Urban Birder
- Cowles Bog
- Great Marsh
- Heron Rookery
- Little Calumet River
- Michiana Marsh Meander
- Miller Woods & Swale
- Owl Prowls
- Pinhook Bog
- Reynolds Creek
- West Beach Pineries
- Western Indiana Dunes National Park
- Woodcock Walks
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
Dunes Big Morning: Visitor Center
Lake Michigan Beach Specialties (previously Pelagic tour): Visitor Center
Big Sit at the Longshore Tower: State Park Longshore/Observation Tower
Indiana Dunes State Park Trail 2: State Park Wilson Shelter
Lake County Wetlands & More: Visitor Center
Bird Banding 101: State Park Wilson Shelter
Birding the Dunes with Lifer Nature Tours: Visitor Center
Birding the Dunes with the Urban Birder: Visitor Center
Cowles Bog: Visitor Center
Richardson Preserve: Richardson Preserve (5281 N Pawnee Trail, La Porte, IN 46350)
West Beach Pineries & Prairies: Visitor Center
Eggers Grove & Big Marsh: Eggers Grove (11251 S. Ave B, Chicago, IL 60617)
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)
Beverly Shores Birding: Visitor Center
Dunes Heron Rookery: Heron Rookery-West Engquist lot (499 E 1300 N, Chesterton, IN 46304)
National Park Ranger Birding: Visitor Center
Bird Language Lessons at Cowles Bog: Visitor Center
Bird Track & Sign Workshop with Dan Gardoqui: State Park Wilson Shelter
Dunes State Park Afternoon Warblers: Visitor Center
Great Marsh Afternoon Birding: Visitor Center
Pinhook Bog in the Afternoon: Pinhook Bog (945 N Wozniak Rd, La Porte, IN 46350)
Painting Plovers Art Workshop: Fluid Coffee Bar (518 Franklin St., Michigan City, IN 46360)
Evening Field Trips Departing 7-8pm: Visitor Center
Friday, May 12
Sunrise Birding at Michigan City Harbor: Washington Park Beach lot (100 E. Michigan, Michigan City, IN 46360)
Amy Kearns' Dunes Big Morning: Visitor Center
Kankakee Sands Prairie Birding: Kankakee Sands Office (3294 US-41, Morocco, IN 47963)
Big Sit at the Longshore Tower: State Park Longshore/Observation Tower
Forsythe Park, Wolf Lake, & More: Visitor Center
Indiana Dunes State Park Trail 2: State Park Wilson Shelter
Michiana Marsh Meander: Visitor Center
Bird Banding 101: State Park Wilson Shelter
Birding the Dunes with Lifer Nature Tours: Visitor Center
Birding the Dunes with the Urban Birder: Visitor Center
Walner (previously Meadowbrook) Nature Preserve: Visitor Center
Pinhook Bog: Visitor Center
Richardson Preserve: Richardson Preserve (5281 N Pawnee Trail, La Porte, IN 46350)
Cowles Bog 50 in 50 Birdathon: Visitor Center
Reynolds Creek Wetlands and Prairie: Visitor Center
West Beach Pineries & Prairie: Visitor Center
Beverly Shores & Great Marsh: Visitor Center
Dunes Heron Rookery: Heron Rookery-West Engquist lot (499 E 1300 N, Chesterton, IN 46304)
Miller Woods & Swale: Douglas Center at Miller Woods (100 N Lake St., Gary, IN 46403)
Birding Photography Close Up: Visitor Center
Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve: Coffee Creek Parking (178 E Sidewalk Rd, Chesterton, IN 46304)
National Park Ranger Birding: Visitor Center
Beverly Shores Great Marsh (PM): Visitor Center
Bird Sit- Interpreting Bird Behaviors with Dan Gardoqui: State Park Wilson Shelter
Birds of Paradise Sculpture Scavenger Hunt: Visitor Center
Dunes Heron Rookery in the Afternoon: Heron Rookery-West Engquist lot (499 E 1300 N, Chesterton, IN 46304)
Dunes State Park Afternoon Warblers: Visitor Center
Learn to Play Wingspan Workshop: Visitor Center- Migration Marketplace tent
Painting Plovers Art Workshop: Fluid Coffee Bar (518 Franklin St., Michigan City, IN 46360)
Saturday, May 13
Dunes Big Morning: Visitor Center
Lake Michigan Beach Specialties (previously Pelagic tour): Visitor Center
Big Sit at the Longshore Tower: State Park Longshore/Observation Tower
Little Calumet River Bottom & Mnoke Prairie: Visitor Center
Indiana Dunes State Park Trail 2: State Park Wilson Shelter
2nd Annual Birding Biathlon: Reynolds Creek Gamebird Habitat (1303 600 E, Michigan City, IN 46360)
Pinhook Bog: Pinhook Bog (945 N Wozniak Rd, La Porte, IN 46350)
Bendix Woods Warblers: Bendix Woods (32132 IN-2, New Carlisle, IN 46552)
Bird Banding 101: State Park Wilson Shelter
Birding the Dunes with Lifer Nature Tours: Visitor Center
Birding the Dunes with the Urban Birder: Visitor Center
Dunes State Park Warblers: Visitor Center
Indiana Dunes State Park: Visitor Center
Kankakee Sands Prairie Birding: Kankakee Sands Office (3294 US-41, Morocco, IN 47963)
Moraine Nature Preserve: Moraine Nature Preserve (240 Meska Rd, Valparaiso, IN 46383)
Reynolds Creek Gamebird Habitat Area: Visitor Center
Richardson Preserve: Richardson Preserve (5281 N Pawnee Trail, La Porte, IN 46350)
Miller Woods & Swale: Visitor Center
BIPOC Birding Bonanza: State Park Wilson Shelter
Birding Yoga at the Beach: State Park Beach
Dunes Heron Rookery: Heron Rookery-West Engquist lot (499 E 1300 N, Chesterton, IN 46304)
Everglades of the North: Visitor Center
Migrant Traps of Wolf Lake & Forsythe Park: Visitor Center
Birding Photography 101: State Park Wilson Shelter
Coffee Creek Bluebird Box & Nest Monitoring:
Coffee Creek Parking (178 E Sidewalk Rd, Chesterton, IN 46304)
National Park Ranger Birding: Visitor Center
Chair Yoga on the Festival Grounds: Visitor Center- Migration Marketplace tent
Cowles Bog in the Afternoon: Visitor Center
Heron Rookery in the Afternoon: Visitor Center
Dunes State Park Afternoon Warblers: Visitor Center
Pinhook Bog in the Afternoon: Pinhook Bog (945 N Wozniak Rd, La Porte, IN 46350)
Sunday, May 14
Sunrise Birding at Michigan City Harbor: Washington Park Beach lot (100 E. Michigan, Michigan City, IN 46360)
Big Sit at the Longshore Tower: State Park Longshore/Observation Tower
Cowles Bog: Visitor Center
Dunes Big Morning: Visitor Center
Michiana Secretive Marsh Bird Search: Visitor Center
Dunes Warbler Tour: Visitor Center
Indiana Dunes State Park Trail 2: State Park Wilson Shelter
Western Indiana Dunes National Park: Visitor Center
Bird Language Lessons at Indiana Dunes State Park: State Park Wilson Shelter
Birding the Dunes with Lifer Nature Tours: Visitor Center
Birding the Dunes with the Urban Birder: Visitor Center
Kankakee Sands Prairie Birding: Kankakee Sands Office (3294 US-41, Morocco, IN 47963)
Spicer Lake: Spicer Lake Nature Preserve (New Carlisle, IN 46552)
Cowles Bog with the National Park Superintendent: Visitor Center
Indiana Dunes State Park: Visitor Center
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)
Birding Yoga at the Beach: State Park Beach
Breakfast with the Birds: State Park Nature Center
Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve: Visitor Center
Richardson Preserve: Richardson Preserve (5281 N Pawnee Trail, La Porte, IN 46350)
National Park Ranger Birding: Visitor Center
Please check the program guide for the location of events not listed.