Iniana Dunes National Lakeshore is a U.S. national lakeshore located in northwest Indiana that was authorized by Congress in 1966. The national lakeshore runs for nearly 25 miles (40 km) along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, from Gary, Indiana on the west to Michigan City, Indiana on the east. The park contains approximately 15,000 acres (61 km²). The National Lakeshore has development rights over the area within its boundaries, but has not purchased the full extent of the property. Its holdings are non-contiguous and do not include the Indiana Dunes State Park (1916), a separate, 2,182 acre (9 km²) parcel of protected dune land on the lakefront near Chesterton, Indiana.