Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes still photography needs a permit only for closed areas, models and props, or shoots the park must monitor; applications go in 30 days ahead.
Guidance, not legal advice
Drone Authority
Check the flight side
Rules answer the ground-photo side. Drone Authority handles the NPS flight ban, airspace, and legal flying nearby.
Permit
Conditional
Issuer: Indiana Dunes National Park Commercial Services Office, Porter, IN
Cost: Application fee of $65 for simple activities or $200 for complex events; still photography location fees $50/day (1-10 people), $150/day (11-30), $250/day (over 30)
Processing: Applications at least 30 days, and up to 12 months, before the activity
The park page states still photographers need a permit only when shooting where the public is not allowed, using models, sets, or props that are not part of the location, or when the park would incur monitoring costs. A valid entrance pass is required for everyone, including permit holders. Photography workshops run as a business may need a commercial use authorization.
Drone / airspace
Effectively banned: launching, landing, or operating a drone within park boundaries is prohibited
NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05 directs each superintendent to close the park to drone use under 36 CFR 1.5. For airspace, Part 107, and legal flying nearby, see Drone Authority.
Street / public space
Yes for personal and editorial photography throughout the park
Standard visitor photography is welcome; an entrance pass is required regardless.
Practical notes
- The Chicago skyline sits across Lake Michigan from the beaches; clear winter air after a front is the classic skyline-at-sunset condition.
- Indiana Dunes State Park sits inside the national park's footprint with its own separate rules and fees; know which agency's land you are standing on.
- Dune grass restoration areas are closed to foot traffic; shoot dunes from marked trails to avoid a citation.
Sources
Keep shooting
Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side: