Indiana Dunes National Park
Managed by National Park Service
4,487 acres24.7 mi of trail
Glenwood Dunes TrailCowles Bog TrailLittle Calumet River TrailGlenwood Dunes Extension+1
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Westchester Township
32% of Westchester Township’s land is conserved: 6,626 acres
6,238 acres are parks and preserves, 298 per 1,000 residents. 55 miles of mapped trail cross Westchester Township, 1.7 per square mile of land. 93% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #2 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
32%
6,626 acres · of 32.0 sq mi of land
Trails
55 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,238 ac
298 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
93%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
17 mi
0.6 mi lanes · 16 mi paths
Highest peak
636 ft
Mount Holden
Lakes & rivers
13
9 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Westchester Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Westchester Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Westchester Township is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #2 of 593 in Indiana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Westchester Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land32% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (55 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4APark land298 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,238 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13AParks close to home93% of residents within a half mile of a park · IN 51% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)#2 of 593
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Westchester Township’s 32% is ahead of 99% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 99% of them.
Water is 10% of Westchester Township’s area (4 of 36 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 29%.
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 24.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Dunes Nature Preserve
Managed by Indiana Department of Natural Resources
1,662 acres16.5 mi of trail
1092Prevent Erosion Keep Off+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Kemil Beach Access ParkingWebsite ↗
Indiana Dunes State Park
Managed by Indiana Department of Natural Resources
2,193 acres5.5 mi of trail
23Beach Trail10+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Dunes Prairie Nature Preserve
Managed by Indiana Department of Natural Resources
66 acres0.7 mi of trail
3
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 14 parks & preserves
Indiana Dunes National Park4,487 acres · 24.7 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsDunes Nature Preserve1,662 acres · 16.5 mi of trail · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsIndiana Dunes State Park2,193 acres · 5.5 mi of trail · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsDunes Prairie Nature Preserve66 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsLakewood Park27 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHawthorne Park15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Cowles Bog National Natural Landmark56 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · National Park Service
Dogwood Park51 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsChesterton Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWykes-Plampin Nature Preserve90 acres · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
DirectionsKeith Richard Walner Nature Preserve66 acres · Shirley Heinze Land trust
J. Timothy Ritchie Nature Preserve42 acres · Shirley Heinze Land Trust
J.D. Marshall Underwater Preserve27 acres
Thomas Centennial Park3 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
6,626 conserved acres
32% of Westchester Township’s land. Water is left out: Westchester Township has 32.0 square miles of land and 3.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Westchester Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service3,816 ac
State parks2,199 ac
Private owners430 ac
Town or city166 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land133 ac
State fish & wildlife13 ac
National Park · 3,685 acState Conservation Area · 1,655 acState Park · 557 acPrivate Park · 430 acConservation Easement · 265 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 134 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 | 3,685 | Open |
| Dunes Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 1,584 | Open |
| Indiana Dunes State Park State Park | State parks | 557 | Open |
| Sand Creek Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 324 | Open |
| Brassie Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 106 | Open |
| Dogwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 61 | Open |
| Dunes Prairie Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 58 | Open |
| Lakeland Park Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Hawthorne Park Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Langeluttig Marsh Wetland Conservation Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 13 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
55 places to go in Westchester Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Westchester Township
Bailly BeachIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsDune Acres BeachIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsEast BeachIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsPorter BeachIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsRidge BeachIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsWaverly BeachIn Indiana Dunes State Park
DirectionsPlus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Westchester Township
Dogwood Park PlaygroundIn Dogwood Park
DirectionsSplash PadIn Chesterton Park
DirectionsPlus 20 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Westchester Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Westchester Township
Bird Observation PlatformIn Indiana Dunes State Park
DirectionsDevils SlideIn Indiana Dunes State Park
DirectionsPeaks in Westchester Township
Mount Holden636 ft elevation · In Dunes Nature Preserve
DirectionsMount Tom633 ft elevation · In Dunes Nature Preserve
DirectionsMount Jackson630 ft elevation · In Dunes Nature Preserve
DirectionsBarnett HillIn Dunes Nature Preserve
DirectionsFort HillIn Indiana Dunes State Park
DirectionsHamilton Slide
DirectionsJohnson's HillIn Indiana Dunes State Park
DirectionsMount BentleyIn Indiana Dunes National Park
Directions8 more peaks
Mount HoboIn Dunes Nature Preserve
DirectionsMount Leman
DirectionsMount MinerIn Indiana Dunes State Park
DirectionsMount MorseIn Dunes Nature Preserve
DirectionsMount RussellIn Dunes Nature Preserve
DirectionsMount Tim
DirectionsMount TuthillIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsPetingill Dune
DirectionsPicnic areas in Westchester Township
Indiana Dunes National Park Tremont Picnic AreaIn Indiana Dunes National Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Westchester Township
Indiana Dunes State Park CampgroundHours: Mo-Fr 08:30-16:00 "Office hours"; Mo-Sa 14:00+ "Check in/out"; Su 17:00+ "Check in/out for Sundays and designated holidays" · In Indiana Dunes State Park · Indiana Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsNissaki Youth Tent Area 1In Indiana Dunes State Park
DirectionsNissaki Youth Tent Area 2In Indiana Dunes State Park
DirectionsNissaki Youth Tent Area 3In Indiana Dunes State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
21 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.0 miHorses · 6.0 miUnpaved · 20.3 mi
Glenwood Dunes Trail6.6 mi
105.6 mi
Cowles Bog Trail3.8 mi
Little Calumet River Trail3.1 mi
92.8 mi
22.2 mi
Glenwood Dunes Extension1.2 mi
81.1 mi
Prevent Erosion Keep Off1.1 mi
31.0 mi
11 more trails
Greenbelt Trail
0.9 miBailly/Chellberg Trails
0.9 mi7
0.5 miTrail 2 Boardwalk
0.4 mi4
0.3 miBeach Trail
0.3 miTrail 10 Boardwalk
0.1 miCalumet Trail
0.1 miNature Center Trail
0.1 mi4 & 7
0.1 miHeenan
0.1 miBiking & sports
17 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
16 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
15Soccer
11Tennis
9Baseball
8Basketball
7Pickleball
2Beach volleyball
2Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Westchester 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 | 47 | 58 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 81 | 75 | 63 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Westchester Township →
Next door
Westchester Township and its neighbors
Westchester Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Westchester Township55 miPortage Township34 miPortage27 miPine Township18 miLiberty Township15 miChesterton10 miBeverly Shores9.3 miBurns Harbor1.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westchester Township | 32% | 1.7 | 298 | 93% | A+ |
| Burns Harbor | 9% | 0.2 | 162 | 85% | A− |
| Pine Township | 24% | 0.7 | 1,276 | 70% | A |
| Portage Township | 12% | 1.0 | 46 | 72% | A |
| Portage | 13% | 1.1 | 55 | 76% | A |
| Chesterton | 13% | 1.1 | 23 | 90% | A |
| Liberty Township | 5% | 0.6 | 63 | 58% | B+ |
| Beverly Shores | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Westchester Township
Where can I hike in Westchester Township?
The longest trail networks: Indiana Dunes National Park, 24.7 miles; Dunes Nature Preserve, 16.5 miles; Indiana Dunes State Park, 5.5 miles; Dunes Prairie Nature Preserve, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Westchester Township is conserved land?
32% 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 Westchester Township’s trails?
Indiana Dunes National Park and Dunes Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Westchester Township?
17 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.6 of painted or protected lanes and 16 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Westchester Township?
18,345 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Westchester Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,238 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Westchester Township have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #2 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 Westchester 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 →