Lundquist Bicentennial Park
Park
6 acres0.3 mi of trail
Riverwalk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Publichall · CC BY-SA 3.0C+Outdoors
Outdoors in Elkhart
Elkhart has 466 acres of parks, 8.7 for every 1,000 residents
5.5 miles of mapped trail cross Elkhart, 0.2 per square mile of land. 70% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 3% of Elkhart’s land is conserved, about 515 acres.
Ahead of 43% of U.S. towns · #248 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
515 acres · of 28.5 sq mi of land
Trails
5.5 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
466 ac
8.7 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
70%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
15 mi
4.0 mi lanes · 9.2 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
6 boat launches
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Elkhart have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Elkhart is ahead of 43% of U.S. towns, #248 of 593 in Indiana. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
C+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Elkhart’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (6 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land8.7 acres of park per 1,000 residents (466 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home70% of residents within a half mile of a park · IN 51% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 43%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 58%
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Elkhart’s 3% is ahead of 64% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 58% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Lundquist Bicentennial Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 19 parks & preserves
Lundquist Bicentennial Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCentral Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStudebaker Park91 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWalker Park18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Elkhart City Parks
DirectionsHigh Dive Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsIsland Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAmerican Park44 acres
DirectionsMcNaughton Park26 acres
DirectionsRiverview Park16 acres
DirectionsLangle Park5 acres
Willowdale Park5 acres
DirectionsBeardsley Park4 acres
DirectionsRice Park4 acres
Moran Park4 acres
DirectionsEdgewater Park2 acres
DirectionsWeston Park2 acres
DirectionsKardzhali Park1 acres
DirectionsPulaski Park1 acres
DirectionsTown Green1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
515 conserved acres
3% of Elkhart’s land. Who manages Elkhart’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city395 ac
Private owners118 ac
Joint8 ac
State fish & wildlife5 ac
Regional Water Districts5 ac
State natural resources3 ac
Local Park · 313 acPrivate Park · 118 acLocal Other or Unknown · 49 acState Recreation Area · 39 acConservation Easement · 10 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bent Oak Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 108 | Open |
| Elkhart Environmental Center Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 49 | Open |
| Studebaker Park Local Park | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Wellfield Trails State Recreation Area | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Gans Park Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| McNaughton Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Pierre Moran Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| American Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Walker Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| High Dive Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
52 places to go in Elkhart
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Elkhart
43 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Elkhart
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Elkhart
6 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Elkhart
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Elkhart
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.5 miUnpaved · 0.9 mi
Riverwalk0.6 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
15 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
9.2 mi
off-road bike paths
1.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
38Tennis
17Baseball
11Basketball
8Soccer
6Pickleball
4Football
2Beach volleyball
2Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →15 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Albert R. Beardsley HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itBickel,Emmanuel C., HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itGreen BlockBuilding · listed 1980
About itLerner TheatreBuilding · listed 1980
About itMark L. and Harriet E. Monteith HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itYoung Women's Christian AssociationBuilding · listed 1991
About itElkhart Downtown Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1997
About itState Street-Division Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1999
About itDr. Havilah Beardsley HouseBuilding · listed 2000
About itBeardsley Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itCharles Gerard Conn MansionBuilding · listed 2007
About itBridge Street BridgeStructure · listed 2009
About it3 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Elkhart: April and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 63 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.2 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Elkhart →
Next door
Elkhart and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart | 3% | 0.2 | 9 | 70% | C+ |
| Dunlap | 7% | 1.3 | 45 | 52% | A− |
| Concord Township | 3% | 0.3 | 12 | 64% | B− |
| Baugo Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 3 | 36% | D |
| Washington Township | 2% | 0.1 | 14 | 30% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Elkhart
Where can I hike in Elkhart?
The longest trail networks: Lundquist Bicentennial Park, 0.3 miles; Studebaker Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Elkhart is conserved land?
3% of its land, against a typical 2% for an Indiana town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Elkhart’s trails?
Lundquist Bicentennial Park and Studebaker Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Elkhart?
15 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.0 of painted or protected lanes, 9.2 of off-road paths and 1.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Elkhart?
3,506 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Elkhart or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 473 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Elkhart have?
Ahead of 43% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #248 of 593 in Indiana. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Elkhart neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →