Indiana Dunes becomes state’s first national park

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore no more: It's now a national park.

Language retitling Indiana Dunes as a national park was included in the omnibus appropriations legislation signed into law by President Trump on Friday. It is Indiana's first national park.

The bill had the support of the entire Indiana congressional delegation. Rep. Pete Visclosky says the 15,000-acre park along the southern shore of Lake Michigan in northwestern Indiana gives the shoreline the recognition it deserves and will enhance the region's economy.

The Dunes were initially recommended to become a national park in 1916, because of their biological diversity and geological features. The effort was set aside because of World War I.

The Dunes became a state park in 1925, and then earned the designation of national lakeshore in 1966. The area has since expanded four times.