PHO TO CO URTESY O F THE I NDI ANA DUNES NATI O NAL PARK
pages into the thousand-page omnibus
the National Park surrounds — Indiana
a National Historic Site, or a National
bill President Trump signed Feb. 15
Dunes is expected to be the equivalent
‘quote unquote’ Park are protected at
were the following words: “Public Law
of the seventh most visited national
the same level.”
89–761 is amended — striking ‘National
park in the country after Yellowstone. It
Lakeshore’ … each place it appears and
is already Indiana’s top tourist attraction
inserting ‘National Park.’”
with 3.6 million visitors last year.
And just like that, the nation gained
The Dunes’ National Park recognition
tainly feels like a promotion for those
its 61st “National Park.” Indiana Dunes
took effect immediately, though chang-
who promote the area for tourism. “This
joined the prestigious ranks of Acadia,
ing “National Lakeshore” on signage
name change is wonderful,” Rowe add-
Glacier, The Grand Canyon, the Great
will be a process.
ed. “It gets us more prominence, more
Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone and the like. Combining the attendance at the Indiana Dunes National Park with the Indiana Dunes State Park — which
“It’s a different name, but it’s really the same thing,” said Dunes Park Ranger
While technically the “Park” status may not change things with how it’s preserved and protected by the NPS, it cer-
publicity, so that we can share this special place with more people.
Bruce Rowe. “All [National Park Service]
“The day after the name change, we got
sites, whether it’s a National Lakeshore,
a call from a guy who is doing a book MAY 2019
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