Nate S
VerifiedJuly 26, 2026 Stayed at: Central 2, Loop: Central Area
nice spot. a little bit of a walk to get to the beach, but quiet and we were by ourselves (couldn't see neighboring sites).
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118 reviews
Central Avenue Walk-in Sites offer beautiful, secluded camping close to Lake Michigan, making it an attractive option for nature lovers. Many reviewers appreciated the well-marked sites and amenities like picnic tables and fire rings, along with the peaceful environment. However, there are notable concerns about raccoons raiding supplies, a lack of sanitary facilities, and the need for more maintenance on the trails and nearby areas, which could detract from the overall experience.
Based on guest feedback
3.5
Based on 118 reviews
Showing 118 reviews
July 26, 2026 Stayed at: Central 2, Loop: Central Area
nice spot. a little bit of a walk to get to the beach, but quiet and we were by ourselves (couldn't see neighboring sites).
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July 24, 2026 Stayed at: Central 2, Loop: Central Area
The campsite was in an area of the National Park without any kind of sanitary services: no water, toilets and showers closed according to the ranger at the visitor center since the last season due to septic tank issues and lack of funding to repair it. We weren't informed ahead of time to prepare ourselves, only about the distance. Also, the area has raccoons, which destroyed our tent due to lack of bear boxes to leave the food in and distance to the car. The area is also plagued with mosquitoes due to the near swamps, so come with lots of repellent and ready to have a swarm or cloud of mosquitos around you all the time.
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July 24, 2026 Stayed at: Central 4, Loop: Central Area
The water was warm and clear. Had a wonderful time.
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July 23, 2026 Stayed at: Central 1, Loop: Central Area
Campsite was great and as expected. The central beach facilities did not have flush toilets or working outdoor beach shower. Sign stated “closed for season” and the 2 port o potties near the beach were extremely full and unusable.
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July 12, 2026 Stayed at: Central 4, Loop: Central Area
We camped at campground 4. Be sure to bring a cart, or something on wheels, to roll your things to the campsite. We didn’t know we would have to carry everything by hand for half a mile on a hill, so be sure to bring something on wheels!!! Also, the mosquitoes are everywhere!!
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July 5, 2026 Stayed at: Central 4, Loop: Central Area
Loved the beach and our campsite we stayed at site 4 in central area if you love hiking and camping its a must !! The bathrooms were a disappointment tho pit toilets were very disappointing and the beach bathrooms were closed and replaced with pit toilets .
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June 17, 2026 Stayed at: Central 5, Loop: Central Area
A previous review mentioned to beware of the Raccoons, and they did not lie! Those raccoons are extremely persistent, but very cute. Outside of that, staying at Campsite 5 is a commitment as its the furthest site away from the entrance, but its a gorgeous site with room for a big tent or a few smaller tents. The picnic table and fire ring are a nice touch as well. Beach was beautiful, but you do have to walk all the way back out to the entrance every time. Will be back, but might stay at a closer campsite next time.
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June 15, 2026 Stayed at: Central 1, Loop: Central Area
We got to our campsite after a long day of traveling, only to find people there already and that our site had been double-booked. Hotels were very spendy so we ended up having to sleep in the car.
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June 5, 2026 Stayed at: Central 3, Loop: Central Area
Overall we enjoyed our stay. The hike to the campsite was no joke when laden down with camping gear and not confident of the path. I wish that the trail would have been marked clearer. For example, there is a signpost with a #2 on it, but no arrow showing which way #2 was, so we took the wrong fork and ended up at #2 campsite instead of the other direction towards #3. Later there is another fork and we also took the wrong fork there. However, once it was found it wasn't a problem. The path to #3 was mostly obstructed at one point by tree branches and we reported that. We had a collapsible wagon which was a huge help in carting everything in/out. The water/bathrooms weren't open yet at Central Beach (the porta-potty was) so we had to go to Dunewood for washing up and potable water. The beach was just lovely. Evenings were peaceful (train whistles through the night though). Ticks were innumerable.
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May 17, 2026 Stayed at: Central 1, Loop: Central Area
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Golf Wood Road, Beverly Shores, IN 46360 United States
Elevation: 188 ft
The Central Ave Beach Parking Lot is one mile (1 mi) north of the intersection of Central Avenue and U.S. Highway 12 in the Town of Pines. NOTE: It is not possible to drive directly to the campsites. Each campsite is a walk of between .1 and .6 ...
The Central Ave Beach Parking Lot is one mile (1 mi) north of the intersection of Central Avenue and U.S. Highway 12 in the Town of Pines. NOTE: It is not possible to drive directly to the campsites. Each campsite is a walk of between .1 and .6 mi from the Central Avenue Beach Parking Lot, including a large hill with uneven terrain to get to each site.
The campground is located approximately 1 mile from U.S. Highway 12, which provides access to the area.
The closest entrance is: Indiana Dunes Visitor Center
Approximate drive: 8.9 mi · 15 min
Last updated: November 2, 2026