Trail is great for cyclist, walkers, and runners. Trail is wide to accommodate traffic both ways…read more Trail is miles long and extends to other trails. I enjoy walking this trail and looking at the wildlife and enjoying nature. Trail is peaceful and tranquil. This trail can be enjoyed all year long. Open dawn to dusk.

Beautiful walking trail. Especially during the fall, the leaves are awesome! It was perfect for the…read morewhole family as the kids could run or ride their bikes ahead. Very safe area

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.

Want a free workout that will kick your butt? Head over to the Swallow Cliff stairs. There are…read morepeople of all fitness levels that make the trek here. Stay to the right and keep your own pace. The forest preserve has done a nice job maintaining the area. There are tables to have a picnic, clean bathrooms, and seasonal café. There is a decent amount of parking too. It does get packed if weather is nice. People like to use rocks to track their loop numbers. Signs say no dogs allowed on the stairs.

Love swallow cliff stairs! This is definitely a workout!! My goodness this is nothing like regular…read morestairs or a stair climber. For those that even exercise regularly, this is a tough workout and you really have to build up to it. Nice location, great walking trail in addition to the stairs. Everyone that goes is very friendly. In the summer the smoothie shop is open. Police regularly patrol the area. Super big parking lots. The only issue is that you're really supposed to walk up one side and down the other - but often people are walking up and down the main flight of stairs which is annoying. Aside from that, it's a great experience.

Driving between Cleveland and Chicago, we like to make time for a stop at Indiana Dunes State Park…read more This time it was a blustery chilly day (Nov 2025), so it wasn't going to be a swimming or hiking day. But we didn't mind the $12 vehicle fee just for the view. South of the park on SR-49, you'll see a Visitors Center, and if we were staying longer, it's a nice stop for local park info, campground reservations, souvenirs, and refreshments. The drive into the state park to Porter Beach takes you through thick woods, and we saw a buck crossing the road, which was a real treat and a reminder that these parks are wild enough. At the end of SR-49, there's an ornate pavilion, and it was closed due to the upcoming holiday, even the cafe and store were closed. The restrooms outside on the boardwalk were open. And we brought our lunch in from Culver's down by I-80. There were only a couple other cars during the time we were there. We pulled up and braved the blowing sand to get a look at the thrashing waters of Lake Michigan. With gusts up to 40mph from an approaching storm, the eaves were spectacular! But it was difficult to stay upright in that wind, not to mention the light sand-blasting we were getting. And we were on the road heading for a holiday visit, so we didnt stay long, only an hour or so. It's a beautiful park, even in the winter. We want to sled down the 170ft dune-canyon known as Devil's Slide!

I'm surprised that seemingly so few people know about the Indiana Dunes State/National Parks! This…read moreis a beautifully unique park, and a must visit for anyone who loves hiking and is looking for a fun challenge. We visited for my husband's birthday, and it was a little tricky to determine which trails were located in the State Park and which trails were located in the National Park. We actually ended up paying for a National Park pass first, but then realized the trail we wanted to hike was in the State Park and so we ended up having to pay for access to that as well. It doesn't make much sense to me that there's not one main visitors center with a flat rate for both parks, but oh well. Let this be a reminder to your research if you're planning a visit soon! We hiked the Three Dune Challenge around 4 PM on a Friday, and there was no one else on the trail! We were shocked to have the whole hike to ourselves. It is indeed a challenge, but the view was well worth it. After making our way down hill and through the campsite (where they could use a bit more signage, especially since that's how they recommend exiting), we drove to the beach and enjoyed the sunset. This park is definitely worth a stop!

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.

Deep River County Park is a really nice park to visit. We've been here numerous times. Sometimes…read morejust to walk the trails, other times to visit the museum and gift shop. During the summer the Deep River Grinders play vintage baseball on scheduled Sundays. They are so much fun to watch and interact with. It's a great time for all, young and old alike! We highly recommend you come and watch a great game of baseball!

Wonderful visit! Our family of 10 ages from 93-3 all found something to love! Well planted…read moregardens and wonderful wildflower prairie full of multi-colored plants and tall grasses. Lots of birds to watch. Thoughtful train garden with working model trains on a huge layout. It told the history of trains in America including laying the first tracks to Civil War and Lincoln's funeral train up to current passenger and freight trains. Every detail was perfect from a Bald Eagle in the "mountains " to the Golden Spike where East met West. Many bridges added to the thorough details! A walk to another area included the "Adventure" garden witch was more like a farm garden. It included chickens, goats, rabbits and turkeys as well as vegetables in raised beds. Further along under the canopy of tall trees was a new Music Garden with "instruments " that mimicked the sounds of nature. This visit did not have time to include everything this arboretum had to offer -- so we will definitely be back!!!

Since it was donated to PNW, this place has gone downhill big time. I used to bring my two little…read moresons who are in High school now and it used to be our magic outing each time. Now, seems like all PNW gets out of this palace is money and puts nothing back into Arboretum. They don't cater towards kids and families and all they do is make money out of weddings, birthday parties, showers and school fundraisers and spend $0 on renovations and maintenance. Disgrace! Here is what you will see now: 1. No animals and that area with the garden for the kids looks poorly maintained. PNW hadn't added any new equipment or additions for the kids since Tall Tree arboretum setup. All the little houses, spider web, wooden maze are all from way back when, from the time it was Tall Tree Arboretum. Purdue hasn't added any new playground and the little houses are dirty with tall grass snd weeds surrounding the whole area. Add some new equipment for the kids and nice play ground. 2. Music Area has missing and broken parts with no sticks to play instruments. Bamboo Sticks were all missing. Pipes are missing. What a disappointment for little kids. If you charge for entrance, at least fix this area so the kids can enjoy their time. Again, add some new instruments. These music instruments were added since Tall Tree Arboretum and nothing new was added since PNW acquired it. Everything is old there. Total disappointment. 3. They charge separate fee for the train room. On top of the general disappointing experience, you have to pay extra for the train experience. They have no shame! I wonder where all this money goes to because they have students volunteering there so they save money on labor too. Put some money back into this place for kids sake. It's embarrassing to see how this magical place turned into ruins.

Waterfall Glen is a beautiful display of nature. Trails offer a robust adventure. Two parking lots,…read moreone off of Cass Avenue and the other off of Lemont Road.

Beautiful place, lots of walking trails. The waterfall was pretty. They have a public bathroom and…read morea big parking lot. One suggestion is to mark waterfall trails from parking lot.

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.

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.