Coffee Creek is a terrific place for light hiking in Chesterton. The trails are maintained making…read moreit accessible for everyone.

A very cute nature preserve. It's not very big. I walked the whole thing in under 2 hours, and…read morethat was stopping and taking pictures and enjoying my surroundings. Multiple little bridges, a pond, and even an amphitheater. There are multiple benches throughout the park and there is a pavilion. Super cute. Beautiful area. I recommend checking it out.

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!

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 beautiful park, playground and experience. I came here for a few hours because the Plugshare app…read moreindicated that they have Level 1 power outlets here. Yes, they do. All along the fenceline. While the Sprinter van was charging, I took the time to enjoy this space. It was originally a fully functioning farm that was purchased by Colonel Robert Heffron Murray and his wife in 1934. After Colonel Murray passed away in 1972, his estate donated the land to Porter County. Now, it has walking trails, an accessible playground, some learning and caption signs and even cross-country skiing. The park offers seasonal tent camping. No RVs or cars or trailer campsites. But the parking lot is huge and you can certainly park here to visit. [Review 20602 overall - 136 in Indiana - 1583 of 2023.]

This is a great park. There are a lot of events in every season. My favorite is Touch A Truck and…read morethe drive thru Christmas tree viewing. There is also a harvest festival in the fall.

I would give a few more stars but i am beyond ticked that the city of Valpo charges admission for a…read morecity park.

Decent facilities needs some updating. Could use a off leash dog area and walking path.read more

My 2 year-old and I LOVED this playground (and the pun in the name is just amazing)!…read more When you walk in, you're immediately greeted with a shaded parent area. This is great if you have older kids, but since there are two (that I saw) other entrances, it's still best to follow behind younger kids if you want to make sure they don't leave the park. There is an area called Tot Lot for toddlers, which is a scaled-down version of the rest of the park with baby swings, smaller slides, climbing structures, mounted instruments, etc. We spent some time here, but my son was really drawn to the main playground. The main area is truly a wonderland for littles. With ramps, slides, swings, ropes, obstacles, and a zip line, there is never a dull moment. We visited on a day that was about 90 degrees, so there were only 1-2 other families with us at a time, but the kids that were there all gathered in the shade beneath the main structure. There was fun to be had even under there, with the different ceiling heights and areas making playing tag or hide & seek a blast for everyone. Personally, my favorite part was the large, adult-sized swing (I regretfully did not get a photo... because I was on it the whole time!). It's a standalone swing that is supported by 4 cables. The actual seat is so comfortable it makes me wonder why all playgrounds don't have these! I imagine it's truly for older kids with different abilities, but on a slow day it was my perch. I could see the whole park, including under the main structure and 2/3 entrances, so I just enjoyed the breeze while my son played tag with his new friends. There is also a picnic area and restroom building that looked nice from far away, but we did not check them out. The whole place seems very structurally sound and well-maintained. I was positive it must be brand new because of the quality, so imagine my surprise on the way out when I noticed it had last been renovated in 2014 (11 years ago). Overall, if I could give this playground 10 stars I would. Great job, Valparaiso!

This is likely one of the best playgrounds that we have recently visited…read more We arrived early on a Sunday morning before it got busy. The vast playground has a rubbery ground and is consisted of a section for young toddlers and a larger area for older children. We have two young, energetic daughters so we gained quite a bit of steps in chasing after them as they kept running between the different play areas. I am under the impression that either everything is brand new or incredibly well-maintained. The playground equipment appear to be high-end with exceptional diversity and quality. There are several wooden structures, multi-level jungle-gyms, swings, climbing structures, slides, monkey bars with different height levels, and zip line. Several themes were highlighted in the play spaces too - from fire trucks to solar systems to Vikings. There was never a dull moment in the two hours that we spent there.

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.]

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!

I recently attended a wedding at Foundation Meadows Park. The venue is stunning, featuring…read morebeautiful outdoor spaces and a very cool gazebo, perfect for a memorable celebration!

Great park with 3 levels of slides. Beautiful walking paths and public bathrooms. Entire play area…read morehas rubber pellets to protect the kids when they fall. Trust me, they will fall, they are kids!!! Two covered pavilions that make for a great place to have a meal/snack. This park is less crowded than ValPlayso while valplayso has more to do!!! This park is one of the many reasons Valparaiso, IN is an amazing place to visit and live!!

Living close to the Cincinnati Zoo I've been spoiled being able to attend one of the best zoos in…read morethe country. My experience at the Washington Park Zoo today far surpassed any visit I've had at Cincy. We arrived as soon as it opened, during off season. I had more up close encounters here with animals than I've had at any visit at any other zoo. All of the animals were active. The zoo was clean and well cared for. The employees were friendly and the animals were obviously well cared for. To top it off we went to the observation tower and had fantastic views of the lake. I loved our visit here and wouldn't hesitate to return.

Great hidden gem that is reasonably priced! We visited Memorial Day weekend with the kids and had a…read moregreat time. For $10 there are a variety of exotic and domestic animals to be fascinated by. You get your monies worth! If you don't like animals, then come to enjoy the views! The tower is definitely a workout, but worth it when you reach the top. You see beautiful view of the river and the lakeshore. Love it! This is our new family spot when we want to get away!