Gibson Woods Nature Preserve
Managed by Lake County Parks & Recreation
119 acres2.3 mi of trail
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: HammondMan · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Hammond
6% of Hammond’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Gibson Woods Nature Preserve (2.3 mi), Doctor Martin Luther King Park (1.3 mi), Seidner Dune and Swale Nature Preserve (1.2 mi). 14 miles of mapped trail cross Hammond, 0.6 per square mile of land. 6% of Hammond’s land is conserved, about 881 acres.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #48 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
881 acres · of 22.7 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,005 ac
13 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
34 mi
3.8 mi lanes · 30 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
1 beach · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Hammond?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hammond have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hammond is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #48 of 593 in Indiana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hammond’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (14 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land13 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,005 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home96% 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 77%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 92%
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Hammond’s 6% is ahead of 84% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 86% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to 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 Gibson Woods Nature Preserve, with 2.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Doctor Martin Luther King Park
Managed by Hammond Parks & Recreation
13 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Seidner Dune and Swale Nature Preserve
Managed by Shirley Heinze Land Trust
44 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hessville Park
Managed by Hammond Parks & Recreation
14 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lakefront Park
Managed by Hammond Port Authority
25 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wolf Lake Memorial Park
Managed by Hammond Port Authority
50 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Grand Calumet River Conservation Area
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
53 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Columbia Park
Managed by Hammond Parks & Recreation
13 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 39 parks & preserves
Gibson Woods Nature Preserve119 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Lake County Parks & Recreation
Doctor Martin Luther King Park13 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSeidner Dune and Swale Nature Preserve44 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
DirectionsHessville Park14 acres · 1 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsLakefront Park25 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Hammond Port Authority
DirectionsWolf Lake Memorial Park50 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Hammond Port Authority
Grand Calumet River Conservation Area53 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Columbia Park13 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsOptimist Youth Sports Complex15 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCarlson Oxbow Park50 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsPulaski Park20 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCaldwell Baseball Complex7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsHarrison Park23 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsIrving Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsForsythe Park63 acres · Hammond Port Authority
DirectionsDowling Park52 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsTolleston Ridges Nature Preserve46 acres · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Riverside Park37 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsKnickerbocker Parkway23 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Cline Avenue Nature Preserve14 acres · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Baring Parkway14 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Memorial Park13 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsHermit Park9 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Wedgewood Park8 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWhihala Beach County Park7 acres · Lake County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsTurner Park7 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Hessville Youth Soccer Complex7 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsAmoco Park6 acres · Hammond Port Authority
People's Park4 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsGibson Park4 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Jefferson Park4 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsPhrommer Park4 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsEdison Park3 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Harding Park2 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Glendale Park2 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsAmy's Park2 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Indi-Illi Park1 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Dan Rabin Plaza1 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsRich's Park1 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Who protects it
881 conserved acres
6% of Hammond’s land. Who manages Hammond’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city561 ac
County256 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits55 ac
State natural resources17 ac
Local Park · 492 acState Conservation Area · 248 acState Recreation Area · 62 acPrivate Conservation · 55 acLocal Recreation Area · 15 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Woods Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | County | 210 | Restricted |
| Wicker Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 103 | Open |
| Edward C. Dowling Park Local Park | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Indiana Tolleston - Beemsterboer Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 55 | Open |
| Centennial Plaza and Trail State Recreation Area | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Forsythe Park Local Park | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Carlson/Oxbow Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Tolleston Ridges Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | County | 38 | Restricted |
| Harrison Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
28 places to go in Hammond
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hammond
Whihala Park West BeachIn Whihala Beach County Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Hammond
Hermit's Park PlaygroundIn Hermit Park
DirectionsKenwood Playground
DirectionsPulaski Park PlaygroundIn Pulaski Park
DirectionsPlus 19 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Hammond
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Hammond
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Hammond
Pulaski Park Frisbee Golf CourseIn Pulaski Park
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.6 mi
Pulaski Park Foot Path0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
34 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
30 mi
off-road bike paths
0.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
34Baseball
20Tennis
9Basketball
3Football
2Skate park
1Soccer
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 12 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
State Bank of Hammond BuildingBuilding · listed 1984
About itMorse Dell Plain House and GardenBuilding · listed 1998
About itState Street Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1999
About itGeorge John Wolf HouseBuilding · listed 2007
About itForest-Ivanhoe Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2010
About itNorthern States Life Insurance CompanyBuilding · listed 2010
About itForest-Moraine Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2010
About itForest-Southview Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2010
About itHohman Avenue Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2011
About itSouthmoor Apartment HotelBuilding · listed 2011
About itPullman-Standard Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2012
About itIndi-Illi Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2012
About it3 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hammond: April, August 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) | 33 | 37 | 47 | 59 | 70 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Hammond →
Next door
Hammond and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Chicago242 miCalumet Township51 miNorth Township42 miHammond14 miEast Chicago11 miHighland8.2 miMunster8.1 miWhiting0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammond | 6% | 0.6 | 13 | 96% | A− |
| Highland | 12% | 1.2 | 21 | 99%+ | A |
| Munster | 5% | 1.1 | 17 | 99%+ | A |
| North Township | 6% | 0.8 | 14 | 98% | A− |
| East Chicago | 4% | 0.8 | 8 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Whiting | 6% | 0.4 | 16 | 99%+ | A− |
| Calumet Township | 9% | 0.8 | 34 | 91% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hammond
Where can I hike in Hammond?
The longest trail networks: Gibson Woods Nature Preserve, 2.3 miles; Doctor Martin Luther King Park, 1.3 miles; Seidner Dune and Swale Nature Preserve, 1.2 miles; Hessville Park, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hammond is conserved land?
6% 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 Hammond’s trails?
Gibson Woods Nature Preserve and Doctor Martin Luther King Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hammond?
34 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.8 of painted or protected lanes, 30 of off-road paths and 0.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Hammond?
15,237 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hammond or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,005 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Hammond have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #48 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 Hammond 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 →