Hobart: Trails, Lakeside and Local History

Hobart brings together historic streets, several trails and waterside nature to offer a range of travel experiences. The Lake George Commercial Historic District, the downtown waterfront promenade and the landscapes around Hobart Prairie Grove give the town more than one focal point. When planning your trip, it is worth deciding first whether local history and the urban setting or trails and nature will shape your days. You can also tailor your vacation rental search to the experiences that matter to you.

Local History on Streets and in Buildings

The Lake George Commercial Historic District is located along Main, Center and Third Streets in downtown Hobart. A Victorian house at 54 Main Street dates to 1895 and overlooks Lake George and the Hobart Dam. Here, you’ll encounter two different scales of architectural history: a historic district spanning several streets and a single building with a specific construction date and views of the lake and dam. The Hobart Historical Society Museum is a local history museum and research library. Anyone interested in Hobart’s past can use it to explore different aspects of the subject: the district, a single house and an institution devoted to local history and research.

Trails for Different Kinds of Days

The Oak Savannah Trail runs from Hobart in the east to Griffith in the west and connects with the Prairie Duneland Rail Trail in Hobart. The Oak Savannah Bike Trail is paved and well marked. Its route between Hobart and Griffith covers a different scale from its connection to another trail in Hobart. For a single hike, the Hobart Woodland Trail offers a specific time frame: the round trip is 2.2 miles long, has 40 feet of elevation gain and takes one hour to walk. It passes through a rare bur oak savanna to Lake George. This makes it easy to distinguish a hike with a stated walking time from a connection that links Hobart into a trail network.

Natural Areas and Water

Hobart Prairie Grove preserves wetlands, prairie remnants, flatwoods of white oak and a rare bur oak savanna. Nature here is not limited to a single landscape type: the area’s features also include wetlands, prairie remnants and white oak flatwoods. Big Maple Lake in Deep River County Park offers fishing and a loop trail around the lake. Here, you can choose between an activity on the lake and a path around it; the landscapes of Hobart Prairie Grove offer a distinct natural focus.

Choose a Town and Stay Based on Your Interests

Downtown Hobart also has a lakeside waterfront promenade. It provides a distinct waterside setting alongside the historic streetscape and trails. If you’re looking for a vacation rental in Hobart, your preferred pace for each day can be a useful first filter: should your stay focus on local history, a hike with a stated walking time, or a variety of landscapes and waterside experiences? This keeps your choice of accommodation connected to your own travel plans without combining the different experiences into a single route.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Gary, Cedar Lake, Griffith, Merrillville, Schererville, Crown Point, Munster, Hammond

For the main travel overview: Lake.