Lake – Nature, Trails, and Special Excursion Destinations

Lake combines impressive natural experiences with regional history, special trails, and unusual excursion destinations. Here, you can choose between birdwatching, walks along lakes, historic sites, cycling tours, and spiritual experiences. When searching for a suitable holiday apartment, it is therefore worth first deciding which experiences you want and then selecting the right base for planning your trip.

Nature, Lakes, and Trails for Active Days

One defining landscape feature is the Gibson Woods Nature Preserve. Covering 179 acres, this state-designated nature preserve features a unique and globally rare dune-and-depression ecosystem. At the Hoosier Prairie Nature Preserve, you can observe native birds and other animals in their natural surroundings. Grand Kankakee Marsh County Park provides a habitat for herds of deer, many species of ducks, and other wildlife. It also has a public canoe and boat launch with access to the Kankakee River. The levees have bridle paths that are open to the public for horseback riding.

There are also routes of varying lengths for walks and cycling tours. Oak Ridge Prairie is a regional hub for the Oak Savannah Trail and the Erie Lackawanna Trail and has five miles of hiking trails. The Oak Savannah Trail also has a 10-mile paved section from Oak Ridge Prairie County Park to the Prairie Duneland Trail at Lake/Porter County Line Road in Portage. Stoney Run covers 317 acres with forests, ponds, and open meadows, as well as two permanent orienteering courses.

At Three Rivers County Park, a 1.5-mile paved walking and cycling path leads around the lake. Fishing is possible there from the shore and from piers. Those who want to experience a landscape of wetlands, dunes, and beach will also find a globally rare black oak savanna on the Paul H. Douglas Trail in Miller Woods. Marquette Park is a 241-acre historic lakefront destination in Gary’s Miller Beach neighborhood and is completely surrounded by Indiana Dunes National Park.

History, Astronomy, and Special Places to Visit

Buckley Homestead is an open-air museum dedicated to regional history. The site includes Buckley Barn, which is more than 100 years old and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Calumet Astronomy Center is located at Buckley Homestead approximately one mile south of the barn area. The Thomas Conway Observatory regularly hosts events together with the Calumet Astronomical Society. Wood’s Historic Grist Mill is located in Deep River County Park within the historic buildings area along the Old Lincoln Highway. Big Maple Lake offers fishing opportunities and a lakeside trail there.

The Shrine of Christ’s Passion offers a unique cultural and spiritual experience. The interactive, half-mile-long prayer path depicts the final days in the life of Jesus Christ. The Prayer Trail includes 40 life-size bronze sculptures and audio recordings at listening stations. Our Lady of Guadalupe Plaza includes two bronze sculptures and a chapel for quiet prayer and reflection. The “Moses at Mount Sinai” area is designed with music, narration, lighting, and sound effects.

In Crown Point, the historic walking tour “The First Walk” presents 30 houses along a two-mile, self-guided route. The Lake County Historical Society Museum preserves artifacts and documents relating to the history of Lake County and Crown Point in particular. The Lake County Fair was founded in 1852 by the Lake County Agricultural Society. For families with children, Bellaboo’s Play and Discovery Center offers a self-directed play facility with colorful, entertaining, and safe areas for children from infancy through age nine. The center is located in Three Rivers County Park.

Choosing the Right Base

When searching for accommodation, you can clearly prioritize your interests: nature observation and longer trails favor planning a trip around the nature preserves and trails, while history, astronomy, or the prayer path offer different daily destinations. For active excursions, cycling paths, orienteering courses, bridle paths, and fishing opportunities complement the options. A visit to Albanese Confectionery in Merrillville can also be included: The factory store carries, among other things, bulk candy, nostalgic sweets, nuts, mixes, gift items, gummy candies, and chocolate. Golf enthusiasts will find further specific options at Cedar Creek Family Golf Center, the nine-hole executive course, and the 6,100-yard Turkey Creek Golf Course.

For further orientation, Schererville, Merrillville, Hammond, Hobart, Crown Point, Griffith, Cedar Lake, Munster, Gary, and Saint John are also available to you.

For the overarching travel overview: Indiana.