Beautiful clean park! Nice neighborhood, very well taken care of and the equipment was very fun for…read moremy kids!

This is a very good park to visit and spend time. It has a little bit of everything. You do have to…read morepay an entrance fee during the summer months. There is ample parking once you get in though. The park has a little lake that you can swim in (if a lifeguard is precent). Around the beach/lake is a walking path, that does get a bit narrow in some parts. It is paved and well maintained. There is also covered pavilions around the park there are 4 decent sized ones with grills. One even has a patio that overlooks the beach/lake.In addition to the large and medium sized pavilions, there are a few personal sized ones scattered about the park. At the front of the park is an adequate baseball field. It is well groomed and ready to play on. Next to the ball field is a full basketball court. It is nice and has a smooth new looking deck. The rims are in good repair and have adjustable heights. I would love to shoot a few airballs here. In the back of the park is a dog park that is basically a fenced in area with a bench placed in there for you to sit and watch your pooch frolic. Behind the entrances to the lake is a sand volleyball court that needs a little TLC. The net was down while I was there, but did not look like it would take much to get the court back up and running. The park has two playground areas. The bigger of the playground areas is next to the baseball field. It has some pretty updated and newer equipment including, see-saws, merry go rounds, rock climbing walls, swings, rocking animals, a saucer swing and slide. The ground is covered in wood chips and has rubber mats in high traffic areas such as under the swings. The playground is very impressive. The other playground is by the lake entrance and is ok, but not as nice as the one on the other side. It has a set of the older style swings and a small jungle gym with a slide. Both play areas are accessible though, which is cool. I really like this park and was surprised that this is the first review. You can spend an entire day here and not even know it. There is a lot to do and it is a very relaxing place. It is well maintained and has a friendly staff. definetley a must visit.

A great park with amenities for a picnic, a hike, a beach adventure and for just listening to the…read morewaves. We found parking quickly and we're able to download the app and pay for an hour to sit and have our picnic lunch near the water. They had plenty of pavilions and tables for eating, as well as benches along the paths. We loved the various play equipment and options for families and especially the green spaces right next to the dunes. Something for everyone! We only saw portapotties, so that might be the only small issue but we were also there before the official start of the season. A fun spot and will definitely return when in the area!

I decided to go to Gary Indiana's WindDown Wednesdays @ Marquette Park/ Beach to SUPPORT My Amazing…read moreCity. Full Bar, Live Music with both an Amazing Band and my cousin DJN4RED provided the perfect Music. This Is What Gary n the Summer Time is All About. They have Food Trucks , Full Bar and Great Music. Perfect Day in the Summer Time. I Love to have a Great Time with old Classmates, Family and Good Friends. Ambience was off the Chain; out in the Fresh Air right off the Lake Michigan. Great crowd and friendly staff. Overall experience is 5 Stars.

This is my favorite beach to go to on Lake Michigan in Indiana. I find it to be an especially…read more*cozy* spot to go to if you want a beach date, as the beach is on the south edge of a small baylike projection of Lake Michigan into the surrounding land. So you can see land to the left and right while on the beach, and there are dunes on all of that land. There are also dunes to the rear when you are on the beach; it is a 40 foot decent from the parking area to the beach. All of these dunes make the area feel like it is surrounded like cliffs, giving this place a unique feel. There is also the riverwalk to go on that is alongside the Little Calumet River as it drains into Lake Michigan, a path through through the dunes going south from the visitor center, a small boardwalk jutting out into the lake that you can walk on, and a visitor's center with a concession stand, so it's still good to go to if you can't swim! Unfortunately, beach access has been off for most of 2019 due to a collapsed portion of the walkway down the dunes to the beach, but the rest of the park is open. HOPEFULLY they will have this repaired by next season. By the way, it is a little tricky to get to this beach. Make sure you get off on EXIT 19 when coming here from I-80! Head north on State Road 249 at this point. Travel about 5/6 of a mile north at this point, and get off on U.S. Steel Road which branches to the north, MAKING SURE TO STAY IN THE LEFT LANE so you can CROSS OVER U.S. 12 and make your way to the beach. Once you cross the overpass, it will at first look like you are entering an industrial area. The path to the beach winds northward through this area and will require crossing over the Little Calumet River on a small bridge.

I was here for the lighthouse and enjoyed much of the walk. I would have gone the whole way but the…read morewind was too strong for my comfort. And also, I hadn't purchased a park pass and didn't want to stay long enough that they might notice. The park and the riverwalk are lovely. The view of the lake is amazing. Well worth the visit. If you're planning on buying an annual park pass, it's even better. [Review 20619 overall - 150 in Indiana - 1600 of 2023.]

It was a pretty park. We only drove around it while looking at the town. I think we were looking…read morefor coffee. But I do remember it being pretty. Looked like a very nice place to walk and ride a bike.

It's beautiful out here. No wonder this is where we fell in love! I gotta spend some time with him…read more I would recommend.

This is so sad to see such a fun place that used to have so many people visit turned into a…read moredeserted place. I realize they don't want you to climb Mount Baldy, sad, but it's still fun to walk around and climb the dunes that you're allowed. Yup sand is definitely unstable. "And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."Mat7:26-27

Gorgeous views! Free parking, short hike around the dune to the beach (you currently can't climb…read morethe dune itself). Bathroom facilities and a foot wash to rinse off the sand before you leave. Bring whatever else you may need because there isn't much there. Fun short walk to the beach.

Absolutely beautiful beach & views of Lake Michigan. This national park is awesome. The trails were…read moreamazing & easily accessible. Lifeguards on duty, although there was a riptide warning & no swimming when we were there mid August. Concession stand had lots of choices. We got a Chicago dog & cheese fries.

Parking for twenty five is insane for in state, the views right and left of industrial waste…read moregenerators really adds to the Indiana, at least sand was cool for the cloudy weather and bathrooms clean.

If you haven't seen the beach at Marquette Park in person, you might be shocked by the expanse of…read morenatural beauty of the dunes, beach, and park. Friends and family who visit for the first time are amazed that a gorgeous public beach exists in the Midwest, let alone Gary. Renovations are almost complete on the Bath House, park, and concession stand. A biking/walking path around the perimeter of the park is great for walking the dog or a quick ride. The view of the Chicago skyline is phenomenal from the beach and even better from the Bath House. I've attended a few private parties and community events in the Bath House, which is an incredible venue for a summertime shindig.

Hosted a beautiful baby shower here back in July. Jan and her husband are good people.read more

What a fun visit. I wasn't sure what to expect, however the park proved to be a very good visit. We…read morestopped by one of the beaches, interesting to see how the dunes looked like they were advancing in on the parking lot. Sand, sand everywhere! The walk to beach looked like you were going for a walk to the ocean! The beach itself was a pretty beach, the water was a glistening blue. We also took a ranger led hike at Pinhook bog located in the park. The only way to hike in the bog area itself, is through a ranger led hike. This was definitely a very fun and very educational hike! We learned the history (and folklore) of the bog. There were carnivorous plants there- like the pitcher plant!! This hike is definitely worth taking. Another interesting side trip, when in the area, is the 1933 Chicago Word's Fair - Century of Progress homes. They are along the lake. Just a short trip from the park proved definitely worth a visit. There are some very interesting architecture in those homes.

Oh I do love the National Park's beauty with the lake, beach, dunes, hiking trails, picnic and…read morecamping areas, etc. The crowds in the summer are horrific. I do appreciate the park trying to help locals a bit by giving us a better deal than non-residents. Hope it helps this coming summer. I miss going here and often hit one of the less crowded/less known beaches in the area just to take it in and relax. The last thing u have to say is this: please clean up after yourself. Do not litter our beautiful lakeshore. It makes me so sad to see. I always take a bucket along to clean up trash, but there is so much I can't possibly get it all when I'm there. Please do your part, and keep it clean. Thanks so much!

This park is the direct neighbor of the town's Bicentennial Park. The two parks share an adequate…read moreprivate parking lot. This park was built in 2003 and is home to a very picturesque covered bridge that crosses the Deep River. At the entrance to the bridge, you will find a statue of a Native American on a pedestal made from rocks. The pedestal has a plaque that informs visitors who was responsible for its construction. Along the walkway, leading to the bridge there are a couple of benches situated across from each other, to sit and relax. The park has an Army M915 Heavy Truck you cannot get it and is discouraged from climbing on, but is ready to serve as a backdrop to your best selfie. The park also has a gazebo. It is nice, but it is also empty. No veterans park would be complete without a memorial of some kind. This park's memorial consists of 3 granite panels. The largest of the three and is centered and positioned in front of a flag pole. This granite panel has the POW/MIA and seals from the five branches of service. The lower banner of the panel reads "TO OUR HOMETOWN HEROES" and list the names of local veterans. To the left of that panel is a smaller panel that is dedicated to all emergency personnel. The smaller panel on the right is dedicated in memory of Lake Station Police Officers that died while serving. There is a walk way that leads to the memorial and there are two benches face the memorials for visitors to sit and reflect. The park is relatively well maintained and is a very simple park. It lacks a lot of the amenities that I look for in a park such as restrooms, trails, and playgrounds, but that is not its purpose. The park is a neat little park which is intended for reflection and to honor those that served. This is a nice pocket park that happened to spill over into neighboring Bicentennial Park. This is not a destination park by far, but still a nice place to visit, pay your respects, a soak in the sights and sounds of the flowing river.