Trails

Beach Trails
Beach Trails

Brickyard Trail

A 3.1 mile paved bicycle/pedestrian trail that begins at the intersection of Wagner Road and Lincoln Street. The trail travels northwest of town, crossing US 20 and US12 via pedestrian 2 bridges, before terminating just south of the Calumet Trail in the Indiana Dunes National Park. The Brickyard Trail was developed by the Town of Porter Redevelopment Commission, and is owned by the Town of Porter. The Town of Porter Parks Department provides maintenance and snow removal for the Brickyard Trail.

Orchard Pedestrian Trail

A 1.1 mile paved bicycle/pedestrian trail that begins at the intersection of League Lane and Woodlawn Avenue. The trail travels west to Waverly Road, then north to Franklin Street, before turning back west and into Hawthorne Park. The trail meanders through Hawthorne Park, and exits back to Waverly Street where it crosses two bridges (Little Calumet River & I-94). The trail, in its current state, ends just north of the Orchard Apartment Complex on Waverly Road. The Orchard Pedestrian Trail was developed by the Town of Porter Redevelopment Commission, and is owned by the Town of Porter. The Porter Park Department provides maintenance and snow removal for the Orchard Pedestrian Trail.

Little Calumet River Access Trail

A 1.3 mile dirt path trail on the northern border of Hawthorne Park. The trail begins at the East Arm of the Little Calumet River at Waverly Road and follows the shoreline through Hawthorne Park and onto neighborhing land owned by the Shirley Heinze Land Trust. The trail was cut by the Town of Porter Park Deparment and Volunteers from Shirley Heinze Land Trust. It follows the southern bank of the East Arm of the Little Calumet River, traversing through sandy soil and marshy landscapes before exiting the woods just north of the Hawthorne Park Community Building. The path can by muddy much of the year due to its proximity to the river and wetlands. Sturdy waterproof shoes and insect repellent is highly recommended. The Little Calumet River Access Trail is owned and maintained by the Town of Porter Park Department.

Dunes Kankakee Trail

A planned 23 mile paved bicycle/pedestrian trail that begins at the entrance to the Indiana Dunes State Park and traverses south through Porter County along the State Road 49 corridor. At the time of this report, the trail was in different stages of development, with the first northern 1.5 miles of the trail completed in 2016. The Dunes Kankakee Trail was developed through an interlocal cooperative agreement, and is owned by the municipalities through which it passes (Town of Porter, Porter County, Town of Chesterton, City of Valparaiso, Town of Hebron, and Town of Kouts). The Porter Park Department provides maintenance for a one-mile section of the Dunes Kankakee Trail that rests between the Indiana Dunes State Park and US 20.

Calumet Trail

A 9.1 mile gravel bicycle/pedestrian trail that runs between the Town of Porter and Michigan City along the US 12/South Shore Rail corridor. The Calumet Trail is owned and maintained by the Porter County Parks & Recreation Department.