This is one of the most scenic, well preserved paved trails in Northwest Indiana. Starting in Crown…read morePoint, there is more than enough parking and space available. The area is always clean and well kept. Although Crown Point is a very industrialized town, the path ventures over a stream, through farmland, by tall grass, and other beautiful scenery. It usually has the occasional runner or dog walker, but still mostly quiet. I've come for long bike rides and skate boarding alike, and it's always a pleasure to go to this trail. If you enjoy bike riding, this trail is perfect. There are even gazebos along the way for cute picnics. Definitely a local favorite for me.

Currently under construction. Will likely be open for the winter…read more The trail provides good windbreaks and lots of trees. When the bathroom facilities are open they are usable. Way better than a hole-in-the-ground-type facility. Lots of nature is along the trail and makes for a great setting.

Nice park with children's playground. In the winter you can rent skis for cross country skiing…read more Beautiful trees & trails. Bird feeders with lots of bird species.

Stopped here to check out the winter scenery. There was not enough snow for cross country skiing…read more Want to go back when the conditions are right. Nice park but a little out of the way for me. I am sure it looks totally different every season. Walked by their bird feeder and spotted a few unique birds. It was a nice nature reset.

Crown Point's biggest park. Go any farther south and you're in Cedar Lake. The perfect place for…read morea nature hike when in the area. I have been here many times throughout the years, especially on elementary school trips. Great place to take the children to. Huge number of trails to take. Lots to see and lots to do. If you like disc golf, welcome to paradise. They've got six full courses of it all round the park! They also have the biggest playground I've ever seen, four baseball diamonds, a tennis court (big, but in need of upkeep), and a monster living in the lake. (All right, I'm just KIDDING about that last one!) Boat rental used to be available on the lake, but I think they've done away with it over the years. You also have six (?) pavilions available for rental. By the way, admission is $5 per vehicle. The park seems to have been hit by the Emerald Ash Tree Borer back in 2013-14, but they have since removed the dead trees. I think that the park decided to use the area once used by the ash trees as a space to extend the disc golf into, as some courses go deep into the forest. I just happened to come on the 23rd of October when I took the pictures. MY MAN, THE TREES WERE COLORFUL THEN!

It's not bad, the paved trail is kinda tore up in some spots but other than that it's cool…read more The parking lot is set back a ways so if you're coming for the first time don't stop at the maintenance building on the left and park. Keep going down the hill and follow the road. OR you can turn right and hit up the dog run they have. I checked out the dog run from a distance, it looks fine. nothing too major. Just an open area where your pup can be unleashed. By the main lot there's a public restroom and a small convenience center too. There's a softball field, B-Ball court and a massive playground nearby too. I liked the side trails, but they're not really that long and they stay pretty close to the main lake loop and run into the Frisbee Golf trails quite often. There are a few benches along the main and side trails where you can make a sandwich or just sit and relax for a bit. Benches are old and worn, little mossy and lichen covered, other than that they're sturdy & solid. Lemon Lake itself is pretty nice, it has Bass, but it's catch and release only. There are also boat rentals (paddle boat and row boat) by the head of the main loop. If you like fishing, there is a big fishing pier on the south east part of the lake that's large enough for 10+ people (comfortably). There are also a few benches right along the lakeside as well. We ended up doing 2 trips along the main loop and several of the smaller side trails. I liked the place and will probably come back here again when the weather warms up again.

Nice short trail, it's only about 2.1 miles starting at the Schererville police station and ending…read moreat a park. When you pass under Rt.30 there is a way to get to a running store (name escapes me right now) and even a mexican restaurant and pizza place. So if you walk or run like crazy and need a drink or some grub it is there! The place is ideal for kids because it's a short trail and is near Reeder Park that has a good playground! In the summer on Thursdays there's a farmer's market and other fun events. I live close so I use this trail a lot. You can walk, rollerblade, run, bike, walk your dog (limited to the trail, pick up poop!! They have some spots with baggies) and even someone in a wheelchair can use this... Skateboards are allowed too! It's clean and well maintained.

Popular on the weekends. The parking going in can fill up but if you drive closer to the stairs…read morethere is an additional parking on the left side. The stairs is actually not that high possibly only a hundred steps. The left stairs only has 1 landing 3/4 way up. The right-hand side stairs has landings every 15 steps or so. The trail by the woods is well-shaded. If you want to skip the stairs and just walk on the woods there is a parking lot entrance from Rt 45.

The stairs provide a pretty intense workout-the east steps are rough and a little irregular while…read morethe west set is a bit easier-more flat areas for breaks, if you need them. I go up the east side, down on the west. I think it's 125 stairs on the east, and 145 on the west. All ages and fitness levels are here! Lots of parking, clean. Dogs are not allowed on the stairs. There's a snack bar, restrooms, and a fairly large room for meetings, presentations, and activities. There are also several trails if you still have energy after the stairs!

State park is $7 per car for Indiana residents and $20 for all other. Great nature views. Dunes…read moreare fun to climb and run/walk down. Beaches are beautiful and water is cold early in the season. The day I went there was a high wave advisory so they didn't let people in the water. Best views of the lake are from observation tower located west of the pavilion. Waves are loud if the wind is blowing from the north. You can see the City of Chicago skyline from anywhere on the beach when it is clear weather conditions. No pets on the beach and it does tend to get crowded when the weather is nice. Walking/hiking paths are available and some go the the highest points in the park where the views are breathtaking.

Indiana Dunes State Park was the first stop on my road trip across America, and unfortunately, it…read morewas a pretty disappointing experience. I came here really excited and ready to hike, but visiting in the summertime meant dealing with an unbelievable number of mosquitoes. I expected bugs, but I have never seen anything like this! My friend and I were completely covered in mosquito repellent, and it honestly felt like we were walking through a fog of mosquitoes. We were literally trying to run down the trail to get away from them. There was hardly anyone else around, which we quickly understood because the conditions were so difficult. We kept going for about 20 minutes hoping the bugs would eventually clear up, but they never did, so unfortunately, we had to turn around. The beach itself was nice, but I didn't come here for the beach I came to hike and experience the trails. I was really disappointed that we couldn't actually enjoy the hike because of the mosquitoes. Maybe it would be a completely different experience at another time of year, but based on our summer visit, I can only give it

Deep River County Park simply put is beautiful. My family and I tend to visit in the fall when we…read morecan ooh and aah over the foliage. The trails for hiking are decent, but made pretty tough after a lot of rain. Especially near the river. They do a fair amount of educational presentations at this county park. It is neat to see the maple syrup process, and to be able to purchase some of the good stuff afterwards. The historical buildings, such as the grist mill, are as educational as they are a beautiful backdrop for weddings and pictures. This is a great county park, but I do suggest visiting in the fall...that's the time this park really shines!

Great place to visit if you need a little nature. Be sure to look up the hours before you go if…read moreyou want to get the full experience.

This park is such a delight. I came on a Thursday afternoon and nobody was around but the critters…read more Idyllic, serene...I could have sat there for hours. I missed the train exhibit by just a smidge; I'm always looking for a quiet place to write; looks like I'll have to return. Cute surprise: little fairy houses everywhere. There's also tons of picnic tables. Upside: some of the trails are super short if you're low on time or energy.

The adventure garden is small, but cute! This was well done for little explorers. It would be nice…read moreif the train ran a bit more regularly in the model train gardens, and the playground near the trains could use a little TLC. There were nice trails and a beautiful atmosphere overall!

Take a hike! See some waterfalls! Temper your expectations regarding the latter. This isn't Niagara…read moreFalls we're talking about, but once you reach the falls, it's a nice respite from all the noise in the world. Depending on the season and time of year you visit, you can walk across this small waterway, trek through some woods, hear pleasing bird calls, but be sure to wear some good shoes. The path is dog-friendly and I see dogs enjoying the water more than the owners. So what are you waiting for?

Well maintained. Not too crowded…read more Challenging enough on a bike for me. Beautiful and well maintained trails that are well marked. Love it. If you're out of shape this place can whip you back into shape if you let it.

Check out this incredible transformation of a quarry into a park in Bridgeport. In between it was a…read morelandfill. Palmisano Park has went through a lot of changes to be sure. A lot of nature of course. There's trails and an interpretive wetlands among the many things to come across while going through. Best to know about the transformation before going. It used to be the Stearns Quarry. The city purchased it in 2008, cleaned it up, and opened it the next year. Has lots of nature to see and more to do. There's more than a mile of paths, including recycled timber boardwalks, and walkways. At first this was the site of a coral reef if you can believe it. Limestone was formed, and there's been fossils discovered here that are now in the Field Museum. In the 1830s it became a quarry, and operated until 1970 when it became a landfill. There's a fishing pond that still has the old quarry walls. After opening this park there was cause for celebration. The community before this had a lack of green space. Have to go here if you like parks that have been restored from abandoned areas. It's quite impressive. There's all kinds of plants and wildlife.

Underrated and beautiful. It's got a fantastic view of the city skyline and there's a whole…read moreindustrial vibe going on but I don't mind it. It's serene and if it wasn't so warm I'd go to it more often. It's good for a long walk but there's no trees along that walk so I'll be frequenting more in the fall va the summer.