Indiana Dunes National Park
Managed by National Park Service
1,907 acres6.8 mi of trail
Paul H. Douglas TrailOak Ridge Place
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Gary
9% of Gary’s land is conserved, and 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park
49 miles of mapped trail cross Gary, 1.0 per square mile of land. 2,784 acres are parks and preserves, 41 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Indiana Dunes National Park (6.8 mi), Marquette Park (2.2 mi), Pine Station Nature Preserve (1.5 mi).
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #9 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
2,979 acres · of 49.9 sq mi of land
Trails
49 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,784 ac
41 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
20 mi
1.3 mi lanes · 18 mi paths
Highest peak
702 ft
Mount Lieber
Lakes & rivers
16
6 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Gary?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Gary have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Gary is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #9 of 593 in Indiana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, conserved land lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Gary’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (49 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land41 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,784 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home95% of residents within a half mile of a park · IN 51% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 91%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)#9 of 593
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Gary’s 9% is ahead of 91% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 94% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A. 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 Indiana Dunes National Park, with 6.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Marquette Park
Managed by City of Gary
240 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Pine Station Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
259 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lake Etta County Park
Managed by Lake County Parks
101 acres1.2 mi of trail
Fitness Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Gleason Park
Managed by City of Gary
223 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ivanhoe South Nature Preserve
Managed by Shirley Heinze Land Trust
50 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Three Rivers County Park
Managed by Lake County Parks & Recreation
17 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Seberger Park
Managed by City of Gary
9 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 52 parks & preserves
Indiana Dunes National Park1,907 acres · 6.8 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsMarquette Park240 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · City of Gary
DirectionsPine Station Nature Preserve259 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
Lake Etta County Park101 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Lake County Parks
DirectionsGleason Park223 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Gary
DirectionsIvanhoe South Nature Preserve50 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
DirectionsThree Rivers County Park17 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Lake County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSeberger Park9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Gary
DirectionsHatcher Park24 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Gary
DirectionsIronwood Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Gary
DirectionsGibson Fields3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Gary
Bayless Dune Nature Preserve16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
Froebel Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Gary
DirectionsPulaski Playground5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Gary
Ivanhoe Dune and Swale Nature Preserve130 acres · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsClark and Pine Nature Preserve41 acres
M.C. Bennett Park41 acres · City of Gary
U.S. Steel Oxbow Tract35 acres
Compensatory Wetland Mitigation Property32 acres
Brunswick Park29 acres · City of Gary
Tolleston Park18 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsHobart Marsh — Bailey tract15 acres
Gibson Woods Nature Preserve14 acres · Lake County Parks & Recreation
Green Heron Pond Nature Preserve14 acres · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
DirectionsRoosevelt Park11 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsNorton Park10 acres · City of Gary
Junedale Fields9 acres
Borman Square Park7 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsBuffington Park7 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsAmbridge Mann Park6 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsPatcher Park6 acres
DirectionsJackson Park6 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsGateway Park6 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsEast Glen Park5 acres · City of Gary
Howe Park4 acres · City of Gary
Pittman Square Park4 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsReed Park3 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsAetna Park3 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsCarolina Park2 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsGlen Ryan Park2 acres · City of Gary
Nichols Place2 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsJune LaBroi Park2 acres · City of Gary
Linear Park1 acres · City of East Chicago
DirectionsRutledge Totlot1 acres · City of Gary
Knox Park1 acres · City of Gary
Idle Hour Park1 acres · City of Gary
Elsie's Park1 acres
Kieon Henderson Park1 acres · City of Gary
DirectionsGoodson Park1 acres
DirectionsTarrytown Playground1 acres · City of Gary
Spring Park1 acres
Aetna Playground 21 acres · City of Gary
Who protects it
2,979 conserved acres
9% of Gary’s land. Who manages Gary’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service1,614 ac
Town or city595 ac
State natural resources298 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits175 ac
Private owners149 ac
County132 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land38 ac
National Park · 1,577 acLocal Park · 764 acState Conservation Area · 312 acPrivate Park · 149 acPrivate Conservation · 124 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 51 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Dunes National Park National Park | National Park Service | 1,577 | Open |
| Pine Station Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 258 | Restricted |
| Marquette Park Local Park | Town or city | 174 | Open |
| Ivanhoe Dune And Swale Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 117 | Closed |
| Gleason Park Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 106 | Open |
| Gleason Park Local Park | Town or city | 103 | Open |
| Lake Etta County Park Local Park | County | 101 | Open |
| Ivanhoe Nature Preserve Local Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 51 | Open |
| Mc Bennett Park Local Park | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Calumet Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 43 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
131 places to go in Gary
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Gary
Buffington Harbor Beach
DirectionsLake Street BeachIn Marquette Park
DirectionsMarquette BeachIn Marquette Park
DirectionsPlus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Gary
Nature Play AreaIn Indiana Dunes National Park
Directions105 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Gary
2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Gary
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Gary
3 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Peaks in Gary
Mount Lieber702 ft elevation
DirectionsChanute Hill640 ft elevation · In Marquette Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Gary
12 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 16 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 6.4 mi
Paul H. Douglas Trail2.1 mi
Fitness Trail0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Bongi borrow pitpondEast Breakwater ArealakeEast Grand Calumet LagoonGeorgia-Pacific LagoonlakeGreen Heron PondpondLake EttalakeMiddle Grand Calumet LagoonNorthwest PondRalston Street LagoonreservoirSerenity LakepondSouth Blast Furnace Recycle BasinreservoirStockton PondpondTerminal LagoonWest Grand Calumet LagoonGrand Calumet RiverLittle Calumet River
Biking & sports
20 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
18 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
74Basketball
38Tennis
26Tracks
22Baseball
7Football
5Pickleball
2Soccer
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →29 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 28 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Miller Town HallBuilding · listed 1978
About itGary Land Company BuildingBuilding · listed 1979
About itKnights of Columbus BuildingBuilding · listed 1984
About itWest Fifth Avenue Apartments Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1984
About itGary Bathing Beach AquatoriumBuilding · listed 1994
About itGary City Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1994
About itGary Public Schools Memorial AuditoriumBuilding · listed 1994
About itEmerson, Ralph Waldo, SchoolBuilding · listed 1995
About itBailey, Louis J., Branch Library-Gary International InstituteBuilding · listed 2004
About itVan Buren Terrace Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2007
About itAmerican Sheet and Tin Mill Apartment BuildingBuilding · listed 2009
About itJackson-Monroe Terraces Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2009
About it17 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Gary: July to 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) | 33 | 36 | 47 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 63 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Gary →
Next door
Gary and its neighbors
Gary has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Calumet Township51 miGary49 miNorth Township42 miHammond14 miEast Chicago11 miHobart Township11 miLake Station3.2 miRoss0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary | 9% | 1.0 | 41 | 95% | A |
| Calumet Township | 9% | 0.8 | 34 | 91% | A |
| Lake Station | 5% | 0.4 | 13 | 93% | B+ |
| North Township | 6% | 0.8 | 14 | 98% | A− |
| Hobart Township | 7% | 0.4 | 24 | 87% | A− |
| Ross | 2% | under 0.1 | 12 | 38% | C− |
| Hammond | 6% | 0.6 | 13 | 96% | A− |
| East Chicago | 4% | 0.8 | 8 | 99%+ | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Gary
Where can I hike in Gary?
The longest trail networks: Indiana Dunes National Park, 6.8 miles; Marquette Park, 2.2 miles; Pine Station Nature Preserve, 1.5 miles; Lake Etta County Park, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Gary is conserved land?
9% 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 Gary’s trails?
Indiana Dunes National Park and Marquette Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Gary?
20 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.3 of painted or protected lanes and 18 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Gary?
20,320 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gary or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,784 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Gary have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #9 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 Gary 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 →