Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA former water park in Porter, Indiana, whose site previously operated as the Enchanted Forest amusement park and Splash Down Dunes.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland was a seasonal water park in Porter, Indiana, near the boundary of the Indiana Dunes area. The site has a longer recreational history than the Seven Peaks name suggests. It operated as Enchanted Forest, a small amusement park, from 1957 until 1991. After the amusement park closed on August 2, 1991, a number of its rides were relocated to Little Amerricka amusement park in Wisconsin. The property was subsequently redeveloped as Splash Down Dunes Water Park, which opened in 1994. Splash Down Dunes closed in 2009 following an ownership dispute. The original owner regained control in 2010, although the facility did not immediately resume operations. Seven Peaks Water Park later acquired the property and reopened it on May 27, 2013, under the Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland name. The park served the local and regional leisure market, offering water slides, a wave pool, children's aquatic play areas, and other seasonal attractions. Its location at the intersection of U.S. Route 20 and Indiana State Road 49, north of Chesterton, placed it near a major tourism and recreation area associated with the Indiana Dunes. The park's operation was interrupted in June 2017 when Indiana state officials ordered it closed after dozens of visitors reportedly suffered chlorine-related chemical burns. An investigation identified malfunctioning equipment as the underlying cause. A Seven Peaks spokesperson said the park would remain closed until the identified deficiencies had been corrected. The closure became a significant safety event in the park's history and affected its ability to operate during the summer season. The water park was sold in 2019. The new owner subsequently demolished the facility. Although an apartment development was proposed for the property, no construction had begun as of 2025. Accordingly, Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland is no longer an operating attraction. The Enchanted Forest name remains relevant as the site's earlier amusement-park identity, but it should not be confused with unrelated attractions or entertainment brands using the same name.
History
The property associated with Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland has been used for amusement and aquatic recreation under several names. Its earliest documented identity in the supplied reference material is Enchanted Forest, a small amusement park in Porter, Indiana. Enchanted Forest operated from 1957 through 1991, closing on August 2 of that year. After the closure, several rides were relocated to Little Amerricka in Wisconsin, preserving portions of the site's amusement-park equipment elsewhere. In 1994, the property returned to the leisure market as Splash Down Dunes Water Park. The new format shifted the site from a general amusement park toward seasonal aquatic recreation, reflecting the area's family-tourism potential and proximity to the Indiana Dunes region. Splash Down Dunes remained the site's principal identity until it closed in 2009 as a result of an ownership dispute. The original owner regained ownership in 2010, but the facility did not resume normal operations immediately. Seven Peaks Water Park subsequently acquired the property and reopened it on May 27, 2013, as Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland. The attraction was positioned as a regional outdoor water park, with a collection of body slides, speed slides, a half-pipe slide, a bowl slide, a wave pool, and children's play areas. Its named attractions included Fears Tower, Slingshot, Vortex, Dune Slides, Sandcastle Sliders, Sandbar Bay, and Duneland Bay. The location north of Chesterton, at the intersection of U.S. Route 20 and Indiana State Road 49, provided access to visitors from northwestern Indiana and nearby tourism destinations. A major interruption occurred in June 2017, when state officials closed the park after dozens of visitors received chlorine chemical burns. Malfunctioning equipment was determined to be the root cause. A Seven Peaks spokesperson stated that the facility would remain closed until all deficiencies had been addressed. The incident placed operational safety and regulatory compliance at the center of the park's public history. The water park was sold in 2019. The new owner later demolished the facility. An apartment development was proposed for the site, but no building had been started as of 2025. The location therefore no longer functions as Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland. The site's successive identities—Enchanted Forest, Splash Down Dunes, and Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland—represent separate phases of the same recreational property rather than a currently operating international brand.
- 2019
Sale and subsequent demolition
[1]The water park is sold, and the new owner later demolishes the facility.
- 2017
Regulatory closure after chemical-burn injuries
[1]State officials close the park after visitors suffer chlorine chemical burns linked to malfunctioning equipment.
- 2013
Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland reopens
[1]Seven Peaks Water Park reopens the attraction on May 27 under the Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland name.
- 2010
Original owner regains ownership
[1]The original owner regains the property, although the park remains closed.
- 2009
Splash Down Dunes closes
[1]The water park closes amid an ownership dispute.
- 1994
Splash Down Dunes opens
[1]The site is converted into Splash Down Dunes Water Park.
- 1991
Enchanted Forest closes
[1]The amusement park closes on August 2 after operating for approximately three decades; some rides are moved to Little Amerricka in Wisconsin.
- 1957
Enchanted Forest begins operation
[1]The Porter, Indiana property begins operating as Enchanted Forest, a small amusement park.
Products and positioning
A regional, family-oriented outdoor water park serving visitors in northwestern Indiana and the wider Indiana Dunes tourism area.
Water slides
Fears Tower
A slide tower containing four speed slides, designed as one of the park's higher-intensity attractions.
Water slide
Slingshot
A half-pipe-style water slide offering a steep, curved ride experience.
Water slide
Vortex
A bowl-format water slide in which riders move through a circular basin before exiting.
Body slides
Dune Slides
A group of four body slides providing multiple downhill slide routes for general visitors.
Children's water slides
Sandcastle Sliders
Three smaller body slides intended for younger children and families.
Children's aquatic play area
Sandbar Bay
A small pool with a water-play structure modeled on a pirate ship, aimed at children's recreational use.
Wave pool
Duneland Bay
A large wave pool serving as one of the park's principal family-oriented aquatic attractions.
Controversies
2017
Chlorine chemical-burn incident and regulatory closure
State officials closed the water park in June 2017 after dozens of visitors reportedly received chlorine chemical burns. Malfunctioning equipment was identified as the underlying cause, and the operator indicated that reopening would depend on correcting the deficiencies.
Brand decisions
2019
Sale followed by site demolitionM&ABackground
The water park was sold after its operating history under the Seven Peaks name.
Action taken
The new owner later demolished the water park; an apartment development was proposed.
Aftermath
No apartment construction had begun at the site as of 2025, and the water park remained defunct.
2017
Closure pending safety correctionsOtherBackground
Dozens of visitors experienced chlorine chemical burns, and malfunctioning equipment was identified as the root cause.
Action taken
State officials closed the park, while the operator stated that it would remain closed until all deficiencies were corrected.
Aftermath
The incident became the principal documented safety crisis associated with the Seven Peaks operation.
2013
Seven Peaks acquisition and relaunchM&ABackground
The former Splash Down Dunes facility had remained closed after an ownership dispute and a subsequent change in control.
Action taken
Seven Peaks Water Park acquired the property and reopened it as Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland on May 27.
Aftermath
The site operated as a regional water park until a regulatory closure in 2017 and a later sale in 2019.
1994
Conversion from amusement park to water parkStrategyBackground
Following the closure of Enchanted Forest in 1991, the property was repositioned for aquatic recreation.
Action taken
The site reopened in 1994 as Splash Down Dunes Water Park.
Aftermath
The property continued operating as a water park under later ownership and branding.
Sources2 sources
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