Wicker Memorial Park
Park
220 acres6.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
A−Outdoors
Outdoors in North Township
6% of North Township’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Wicker Memorial Park (6.4 mi), Gibson Woods Nature Preserve (2.3 mi), West Lakes Park (1.4 mi). 42 miles of mapped trail cross North Township, 0.8 per square mile of land. 2,192 acres are parks and preserves, 14 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #32 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
2,071 acres · of 53.1 sq mi of land
Trails
42 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,192 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
58 mi
4.3 mi lanes · 53 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
10
3 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is North Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does North Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, North Township is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #32 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 North Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (42 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,192 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13BParks close to home98% 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 82%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 95%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, North Township ranks #177 on Outdoors.
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so North Township’s 6% is ahead of 84% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 92% 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 Wicker Memorial Park, with 6.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Gibson Woods Nature Preserve
Managed by Lake County Parks & Recreation
118 acres2.3 mi of trail
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
West Lakes Park
Managed by Munster Park District
26 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Centennial Park
Managed by Munster Park District
154 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
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
41 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Washington Park
Managed by City of East Chicago
19 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hessville Park
Managed by Hammond Parks & Recreation
14 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 107 parks & preserves
Wicker Memorial Park220 acres · 6.4 mi of trail
DirectionsGibson Woods Nature Preserve118 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Lake County Parks & Recreation
West Lakes Park26 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Munster Park District
DirectionsCentennial Park154 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Munster Park District
DirectionsDoctor Martin Luther King Park13 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSeidner Dune and Swale Nature Preserve41 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
DirectionsWashington Park19 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · City of East Chicago
DirectionsHessville Park14 acres · 1 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCommunity Park50 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Munster Park District
DirectionsLakefront Park24 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Hammond Port Authority
DirectionsTod Park15 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of East Chicago
Carlson Oxbow Park64 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWolf Lake Memorial Park52 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Hammond Port Authority
Kościuszko Park20 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of East Chicago
DirectionsWhiting Lakefront Park25 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Whiting Parks & Recreation
DirectionsColumbia Park14 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsGrand Calumet River Conservation Area53 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Optimist Youth Sports Complex15 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Munster Park District
DirectionsCobblestones Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRiley Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of East Chicago
DirectionsTwin Creek Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHomestead Park43 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsJeorse Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWhite Oak Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCaldwell Baseball Complex9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsNuñez Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of East Chicago
DirectionsCallahan Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of East Chicago
DirectionsPulaski Park20 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSheppard Park15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMarkley Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Lakeside Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
White Oak Estates Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Whihala Beach County Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lake County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsHarrison Park21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsIrving Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsGrove Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Burlwood Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Edward Valve Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of East Chicago
Lands End Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Munster Park District
DuPont Natural Area186 acres
Hoosier Prairie State Nature Preserve81 acres · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsForsythe Park63 acres · Hammond Port Authority
DirectionsDowling Park53 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsTolleston Ridges Nature Preserve45 acres · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Clayhole Lake Greenspace40 acres
DirectionsRiverside Park39 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsKnickerbocker Parkway20 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSharp Athletic Complex20 acres
DirectionsMeadows Park17 acres
DirectionsLinear Park16 acres · City of East Chicago
DirectionsLincoln Center14 acres
DirectionsGrand Prairie14 acres
DirectionsMemorial Park13 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCline Avenue Nature Preserve13 acres · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Marktown Park13 acres · City of East Chicago
E. J. Block Stadium Park13 acres · City of East Chicago
DirectionsBeech Park11 acres
DirectionsBaring Parkway10 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Munster Heritage Park10 acres
Wedgewood Park10 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsHermit Park9 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Briar Creek Park8 acres
Eggers Grove7 acres · Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Brantwood Park7 acres
Bluebird Park7 acres
Turner Park6 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Hessville Youth Soccer Complex6 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsStewart Park6 acres
DirectionsAmoco Park6 acres · Hammond Port Authority
Sunnyside Park6 acres · City of East Chicago
Main Square Park5 acres
DirectionsVeterans' Park5 acres · City of East Chicago
DirectionsBieker Woods Nature Area5 acres
81st/Liable Park5 acres
Gibson Park5 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Jefferson Park5 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsPeople's Park4 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsRoxana Park4 acres · City of East Chicago
Phrommer Park4 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsRiver Bend Greenspace4 acres
DirectionsOrchard Park4 acres
Edison Park4 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Little Turtle Park3 acres
Toth Park3 acres
Lawler Park Greenspace3 acres
Parkside Greenspace3 acres
Somerset Greenspace3 acres
Amy's Park3 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Northwood Park3 acres · Highland Park District
Harding Park2 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Glendale Park2 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsIndi-Illi Park2 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
Roxana Tot Lot1 acres · City of East Chicago
Carey/Jackson Park1 acres · City of East Chicago
Northgate Community Park1 acres
Flag Pole Park1 acres
Dan Rabin Plaza1 acres · Hammond Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCircle Park1 acres
Jaycee Park1 acres
Lakeside Park Outlet1 acres
Evergreen Park1 acres · Munster Park District
Kiwanis Park1 acres · Munster Park District
Sandalwood Park1 acres
Grand Park1 acres
Meadows Outlet Park1 acres
Monon Trailhead1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,071 conserved acres
6% of North Township’s land. Who manages North Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,303 ac
County301 ac
Other state land164 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits133 ac
State natural resources98 ac
Private owners82 ac
Local Park · 1,214 acState Conservation Area · 325 acConservation Easement · 179 acPrivate Conservation · 127 acState Recreation Area · 106 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 179 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 99 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wicker Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 326 | Open |
| Gibson Woods Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | County | 208 | Restricted |
| Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 82 | Open |
| Hoosier Prairie Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 80 | Restricted |
| Indiana Tolleston - Little Calumet River Floodpla Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 67 | Open |
| Carlson/Oxbow Park Local Park | Town or city | 62 | Open |
| Edward C. Dowling Park Local Park | Town or city | 60 | Open |
| Indiana Tolleston - Beemsterboer Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 59 | Open |
| 81St And Liable Park Local Park | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Centennial Plaza and Trail State Recreation Area | Town or city | 48 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
102 places to go in North Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in North Township
Jeorse Park BeachIn Jeorse Park
DirectionsWhihala BeachIn Whihala Beach County Park
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in North Township
Atchison Avenue Tot Lot
DirectionsElliot Playground
DirectionsHermit's Park PlaygroundIn Hermit Park
DirectionsKenwood Playground
DirectionsPulaski Park PlaygroundIn Pulaski Park
DirectionsTot LotIn Lakeside Park
Directions88 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in North Township
2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in North Township
Whihala Beach Boat LaunchIn Whiting Lakefront Park
DirectionsPlus 4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Peaks in North Township
Arbor Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in North Township
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in North Township
Pulaski Park Frisbee Golf CourseIn Pulaski Park
DirectionsTrails & water
10 lakes & rivers
Biking & sports
58 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
53 mi
off-road bike paths
0.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
86Baseball
76Tennis
54Basketball
13Soccer
10Football
7Softball
3Skate park
2Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in North Township: 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 North Township →
Next door
North Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Chicago242 miCalumet Township51 miGary49 miNorth Township42 miHammond14 miEast Chicago11 miHighland8.2 miWhiting0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Township | 6% | 0.8 | 14 | 98% | A− |
| East Chicago | 4% | 0.8 | 8 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Whiting | 6% | 0.4 | 16 | 99%+ | A− |
| Hammond | 6% | 0.6 | 13 | 96% | A− |
| Calumet Township | 9% | 0.8 | 34 | 91% | A |
| Gary | 9% | 1.0 | 41 | 95% | A |
| Highland | 12% | 1.2 | 21 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in North Township
Where can I hike in North Township?
The longest trail networks: Wicker Memorial Park, 6.4 miles; Gibson Woods Nature Preserve, 2.3 miles; West Lakes Park, 1.4 miles; Centennial Park, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of North Township 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 North Township’s trails?
Wicker Memorial Park and Gibson Woods Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in North Township?
58 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.3 of painted or protected lanes, 53 of off-road paths and 0.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near North Township?
16,446 acres of parks and open public land lie inside North Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,192 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does North Township have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #32 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 North 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 →