CHESTERTON, Ind. (AP): Officials at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes State Park want people to know they have much more than just sand.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore spokesman Bruce Rowe says visitors think of just its beaches and the dunes but its 15,000 acres also include wetlands and woodlands. He tells The (Munster) Times the park is one of the most biologically diverse of the national parks, with about 1,400 plant species.

The park this summer will launch a passport program that will encourage visitors to visit at least seven locations within the park that spans parts of Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties.

Indiana Dunes State Park Manager Brandt Baughman says a new bird observation platform near its beach is scheduled to open next month.