Since part of the Indiana Dunes turned into a national park in 2019, tourism has dramatically increased. That increase has created a need for more services, more places to eat and stay, and more things to do outside the park — an economic developer's dream.

The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority has plans to help alleviate that need. It wants U.S. 12 designated a national scenic byway. Roads must meet certain standards to receive the designation.

“The redesignation of what was a national lakeshore to a national park, along with the increased access offered by the finished double-track project, have turned some existing opportunities into low-hanging fruit when it comes to making our shoreline into a premiere attraction,” said Sherri Ziller, RDA president and CEO, in a press release. “We want do everything we can to encourage visitors to not just enjoy our trails and beaches and dunes, but to spend money in our shoreline communities while they are here.”

Of the 61 national parks, the Indiana Dunes National Park ranks 13th in the total numbers of annual visitors. More than 2.8 million people visit the only national park in Indiana.

At this pace, the RDA projects that the parks will support more than 900 jobs as the demand for tourism increases and attract more than 2,000 residents, according to its 2025 strategic plan. That's more than $170 million going into the pockets of residents by 2050.

That also means visitors will need better access to the parks. Only two visitors centers are listed on the National Park Service website. The Indiana Dunes Visitor Center is in Porter and the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education in Gary. The park also offers access to eight beaches.

The national park adjoins the Indiana Dunes State Park, which draws even more tourists to towns along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The state park has an entrance in Chesterton.

The RDA plans to collaborate with towns along the lakeshore to focus on improved amenities by entrances.