Dreams of Duneland

Discover the towering sand dunes along Lake Michigan, not far from Chicago, one of the most unexpected natural features of Indiana.

Dreams of Duneland is a beautifully illustrated introduction to the Dunes region, its history, and future prospects. This area of shifting sands is also a place of savanna, wetland, prairie, and forest that is home to a wide diversity of plant and animal species. The preserved area of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore sits by residential communities, businesses, and cultural attractions, evidence of a long history of competition for the land among farmers, fur traders, industrialists, conservationists, and urban and recreational planners. With more than 400 stunning images, the book brings to life the remarkable story of this extraordinary place.

“[A] love letter to a quirky 15-mile stretch of national park land sandwiched between the steel plants at Chicago’s southern edge and the Michigan state line. Schoon . . . captures the character of the unlikely vacationland with the obsessive zest for detail you’d get from the best local tour guide.” —Chicago Tribune’s Printers Row

“Kenneth Schoon has created a virtual tour of the dunelands―its natural areas, its history, and its communities. His is the work of both a native son and a scholar; he has created a coffee table book for the eye and for the mind.” —Indiana Magazine of History

“There’s a lot of interesting history packed into 45 miles of shoreline. Discover a rich and varied history with Dreams of Duneland by Kenneth J. Schoon.” —Little Indiana