Indiana finally has its first national park

After more than 100 years of trying, Indiana has its first national park.

On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an omnibus spending bill that, included changing the name from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to Indiana Dunes National Park.

“This action provides our shoreline with the recognition it deserves, and I hope further builds momentum to improve open and public access to all of our region’s environmental wonders,” U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, a Democrat representing Indiana’s 1st District, said.

The name change doesn’t necessarily come with extra funding or protection, but it will help raise the Dunes’ profile, said Bruce Rowe, public information officer for the Indiana Dunes.

“We’re absolutely elated,” Rowe said. “We have this incredible natural resource that not that many people know about.”

Before the name change, the Indiana Dunes Lakeshore was one of 418 “national park units.” Now it is part of a group of 61 parks across the country that Americans make lifelong commitments to visit.

The area is made up of about 15,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, savannas, bogs, wetlands and the dunes. Its beaches run along about 15 miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline.

“This designation is long overdue and will be a significant benefit to northwest Indiana and a benefit the entire Midwest region,” said Dustin Ritchea of Indiana Dunes Tourism.

The Indiana Dunes received 3.6 million visitors last year, and combined with the Indiana Dunes State Park, the destination ranks just below Yellowstone National Park for visitors, Ritchea said.