It is a Misdemeanor in Indiana to be nude in public. While there is no Federal law against nudity the Feds default to State law. While we have heard from people who go there that nudity is tolerated by other beach goers, it is not tolerated by Park Rangers. Best practice is to cover up if you see anyone approaching - especially rangers! Since the parking lot is small in the big picture, there are never a lot of people on the beach, which makes it perfect for nudists. Some lay out away from Lake Michigan in the grass, others are braver. Nudity is at your own risk.
PARKING
You want to park at the Kemil Beach and Dune Ridge Trail Parking Lot in Beverly Shores Indiana.
Route 12 (also called Dunes Highway) runs about a mile south of Lake Michigan and parallel to the dunes. If you take Route 12 East of Porter Indiana it’s about a 4 mile drive to the intersection of Route 12 (W Dunes Highway) and State Boundary Park road. At this intersection you turn left (north) and go a few blocks to the parking lot.
This is a National Park parking lot and you need to pay to park. Parking cost is $25 for a pass good for 7 days from the time of purchase. ($20 for seniors) There is also a National Park Pass you can purchase for $45 which is good for a year at this parking lot only. We have heard that you only need to “pay” when rangers are present (weekends) but cannot guarantee that.
The parking lot only has 98 spots and can fill up on summer weekends. You can get more information on parking and you can pre-pay for parking (if you want) here https://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/kemil-beach.htm
CELL SERVICE
Cell service as known to be spotty in this area. We recommend printing out a map ahead of time just in case!
BATHROOMS
The only bathrooms are at the parking lot.
SO HOW FAR FROM THE PARKING LOT IS THE UNOFFICIAL NUDE AREA
It is about 6 blocks in total, about half walking through the sand. You walk to Lake Michigan and then go LEFT (West). The nude friendly area is between two trails marked either as Trail 9 and Trail 10 or Big Blowout Trail and Furnessville Blowout Trail. Even on a beautiful day we have never heard of more than a few people using this part of the beach as a "nude beach" so don't expect a crowd.