Washington Park
Park
139 acres2.5 mi of trail
Fedder’s Alley EastFedder’s Alley WestSenior Center Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Matt Morse · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Michigan Township
Michigan Township has 13 miles of mapped trails, 0.7 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Washington Park (2.5 mi), Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve (1.3 mi), Krueger Memorial Park (0.9 mi). 716 acres are parks and preserves, 26 per 1,000 residents. 85% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #36 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
748 acres · of 17.9 sq mi of land
Trails
13 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
716 ac
26 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
5.7 mi lanes · 4.6 mi paths
Highest peak
607 ft
Mount Baldy
Lakes & rivers
4
15 beaches · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Michigan Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Michigan Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Michigan Township is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #36 of 593 in Indiana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, conserved land lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Michigan Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (13 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land26 acres of park per 1,000 residents (716 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home85% 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 80%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 94%
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Michigan Township’s 7% is ahead of 86% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 89% of them.
Water is 35% of Michigan Township’s area (10 of 27 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 4%.
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 Washington Park, with 2.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve
Managed by Shirley Heinze Lant Trust
84 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Indiana Dunes National Park
Managed by National Park Service
321 acres0.4 mi of trail
Fire Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 22 parks & preserves
Washington Park139 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsAmbler Flatwoods Nature Preserve84 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Shirley Heinze Lant Trust
DirectionsKrueger Memorial Park62 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsAmes Field Park8 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsIndiana Dunes National Park321 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsWinding Creek Cove Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCleveland Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFriendship Botanic Gardens81 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Karwick Nature Area22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWater Tower Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWaterfall Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNIPSCO and Shirley Heinze Land Trust75 acres
Shirley Heinze Land Trust35 acres
Motts Park19 acres
Hanson Park13 acres
DirectionsCharles R. Westcott Park6 acres
DirectionsNelson Park5 acres
Congdon Park4 acres
DirectionsZilla Park2 acres
Millennium Plaza1 acres
DirectionsCanada Park1 acres
DirectionsSand Castle Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
748 conserved acres
7% of Michigan Township’s land. Water is left out: Michigan Township has 17.9 square miles of land and 9.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Michigan Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city289 ac
National Park Service253 ac
Private owners89 ac
Other state land81 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land35 ac
State fish & wildlife34 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government2 ac
Local Park · 291 acNational Park · 218 acConservation Easement · 150 acLocal Recreation Area · 69 acState Recreation Area · 34 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 116 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 21 parcels. 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 | 218 | Open |
| Washington Park / Michigan City Local Park | Town or city | 154 | Open |
| Pottawattamie Local Recreation Area | Private owners | 69 | Open |
| Memorial Park Krueger Local Park | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Trail Creek Public Fishing Area State Recreation Area | State fish & wildlife | 33 | Open |
| Stockwell Woods State Conservation Area | Private owners | 20 | Closed |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Motts Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Gardena Playground Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Hansen Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
50 places to go in Michigan Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Michigan Township
Crescent Dune BeachIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsStop 2 Beach
DirectionsStop 7 Beach
DirectionsWashington Park BeachHours: Mon–Sun 5 am – 10 pm · In Washington Park
DirectionsPlus 11 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Michigan Township
LBCC Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Michigan Township
23 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Michigan Township
6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Michigan Township
Old Pumping Station
DirectionsPeaks in Michigan Township
Mount Baldy607 ft elevation · In Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsBismarck HillIn Washington Park
DirectionsCrescent DuneIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Michigan Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.6 mi
Stop 70.1 mi
Fedder’s Alley East0.1 mi
Fire Trail0.1 mi
Fedder’s Alley West0.1 mi
Senior Center Path0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.6 mi
off-road bike paths
2.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
18Tennis
17Basketball
15Baseball
4Pickleball
4Tracks
3Soccer
3Football
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →17 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 22 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Michigan City East Pierhead Light Tower and Elevated WalkStructure · listed 1988
About itGeorge and Adele Jaworowski HouseBuilding · listed 2013
About itHoover-Timme HouseBuilding · listed 2013
About itJohn and Isabel Burnham HouseBuilding · listed 2013
About itLowell E. and Paula G. Jackson HouseBuilding · listed 2013
About itMichigan City Breakwater LightStructure · listed 2017
About it5 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Michigan Township: 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 | 46 | 58 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 81 | 75 | 63 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.2 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Michigan Township →
Next door
Michigan Township and its neighbors
Michigan Township has the second most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Township | 7% | 0.7 | 26 | 85% | A− |
| Coolspring Township | 3% | 0.2 | 45 | 61% | B |
| Michigan City | 5% | 0.6 | 22 | 89% | A− |
| Springfield Township | 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | 6% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Michigan Township
Where can I hike in Michigan Township?
The longest trail networks: Washington Park, 2.5 miles; Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve, 1.3 miles; Krueger Memorial Park, 0.9 miles; Ames Field Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Michigan 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 Michigan Township’s trails?
Washington Park and Ambler Flatwoods Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Michigan Township?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.7 of painted or protected lanes, 4.6 of off-road paths and 2.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Michigan Township?
11,796 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Michigan Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 716 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Michigan Township have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #36 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 Michigan 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 →