Gordon and Faith Greiner Nature Preserve
Managed by Shirley Heinze Land Trust
71 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Dennisyerger84 · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Hobart Township
7% of Hobart Township’s land is conserved: 1,152 acres
The biggest trail networks: Gordon and Faith Greiner Nature Preserve (0.9 mi), Cressmoor Prairie Nature Preserve (0.8 mi), Bur Oak Woods Nature Preserve (0.7 mi). 87% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 977 acres are parks and preserves, 24 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #52 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,152 acres · of 25.5 sq mi of land
Trails
11 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
977 ac
24 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
87%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
4.1 mi lanes · 8.9 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
9
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Hobart Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hobart Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hobart Township is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #52 of 593 in Indiana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hobart Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (11 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4BPark land24 acres of park per 1,000 residents (977 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home87% 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 76%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 91%
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Hobart Township’s 7% is ahead of 87% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 77% 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 Gordon and Faith Greiner Nature Preserve, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cressmoor Prairie Nature Preserve
Managed by Shirley Heinze Land Trust
39 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bur Oak Woods Nature Preserve
Managed by Shirley Heinze Land Trust
84 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hobart Prairie Grove
Nature preserve
304 acres0.5 mi of trail
Hobart Woodland Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Riverview Park
Park
25 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 30 parks & preserves
Gordon and Faith Greiner Nature Preserve71 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
DirectionsCressmoor Prairie Nature Preserve39 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
DirectionsBur Oak Woods Nature Preserve84 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
DirectionsFestival Park16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHobart Prairie Grove304 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverview Park25 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMcCloskey's Burr Oak Savanna Nature Preserve113 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Hobart Marsh — Nozrik tract49 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Hobart City Ball Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsIndiana Dunes National Park441 acres · National Park Service
Calumet Prairie State Nature Preserve152 acres · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Hobart Marsh — Bailey tract103 acres
Hobart Marsh — Kim tract62 acres
Three Rivers County Park58 acres · Lake County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsStewart Mattix Prairie56 acres
DirectionsIvory Wetlands48 acres · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
Hobart Marsh — Quail Hollow tract45 acres
Hillman Park36 acres
DirectionsRobinson Park32 acres
DirectionsRosser Park29 acres
DirectionsHobart Marsh — Bundalo tract25 acres
Hidden Prairie20 acres · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
Liverpool Nature Preserve19 acres
Levan Wetland Nature Preserve18 acres · Woodland Savanna Land Conservancy Inc
DirectionsLakeview Park16 acres · City of Hobart
Bock/Higgins Nature Preserve15 acres
DirectionsHobart Marsh — Chorak tract14 acres
DirectionsEleven-Acre Prairie12 acres
Brinson Nature Preserve9 acres
Mock Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,152 conserved acres
7% of Hobart Township’s land. Who manages Hobart Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service279 ac
Town or city261 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits215 ac
State natural resources192 ac
Private owners135 ac
County38 ac
Other state land31 ac
State Conservation Area · 285 acNational Park · 279 acLocal Park · 273 acPrivate Conservation · 153 acPrivate Park · 100 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Dunes National Park National Park | National Park Service | 279 | Open |
| Hidden Prairie Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 153 | Closed |
| Calumet Prairie State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 118 | Restricted |
| Cressmoor Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 100 | Open |
| Mac Jay Lake (Hobart Izaak Walton League) State Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 62 | Closed |
| McCloskey Savanna - South State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 56 | Restricted |
| Evergreen Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Riverview Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Deep River Outdoor Recreation Center Local Park | County | 38 | Open |
| Hillman Park Local Park | Town or city | 38 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Hobart Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hobart Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Hobart Township
2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Hobart Township
9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Hobart Township
Deep River Water Trail, Johnson Park access point
DirectionsDeep River Water Trail, Riverview Park access point
DirectionsDeep River Water Trail, Soccer and Rugby Field access point
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Hobart Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Hobart Woodland Trail0.6 mi
East 23rd Court0.2 mi
Hiking trail0.1 mi
Biking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
8.9 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
22Baseball
16Tennis
9Soccer
6Basketball
4Football
4Softball
2Skate park
2Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hobart Township: April, July 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 | 36 | 47 | 59 | 70 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.4 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Hobart Township →
Next door
Hobart Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Calumet Township51 miGary49 miHobart Township11 miUnion Township9.6 miRoss Township9.5 miHobart8.8 miMerrillville6.0 miLake Station3.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart Township | 7% | 0.4 | 24 | 87% | A− |
| Calumet Township | 9% | 0.8 | 34 | 91% | A |
| Ross Township | 8% | 0.2 | 45 | 72% | B+ |
| Gary | 9% | 1.0 | 41 | 95% | A |
| Hobart | 6% | 0.3 | 28 | 76% | B+ |
| Lake Station | 5% | 0.4 | 13 | 93% | B+ |
| Union Township | 1% | 0.3 | 2 | 12% | C− |
| Merrillville | 8% | 0.2 | 40 | 73% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hobart Township
Where can I hike in Hobart Township?
The longest trail networks: Gordon and Faith Greiner Nature Preserve, 0.9 miles; Cressmoor Prairie Nature Preserve, 0.8 miles; Bur Oak Woods Nature Preserve, 0.7 miles; Festival Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hobart Township is conserved land?
7% 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 Hobart Township’s trails?
Gordon and Faith Greiner Nature Preserve and Cressmoor Prairie Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hobart Township?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.1 of painted or protected lanes and 8.9 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Hobart Township?
17,131 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hobart Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 977 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hobart Township have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #52 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 Hobart Township 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 →