Miles of great hiking trails and numerous scenic views…read more Skiing and biking also encouraged.

Such a Great place for birding and a nice walk. I love taking my granddaughter here to explore the…read morelittle nature center indoors and then go on a nice walk along the trails.

This park is gorgeous (even though there was a lot of construction going on along the south side of…read morethe park.) What makes this park on the low side of the river so stunning is the series of irregular shaped terrace steps that the millrace of the St Joe River flows over to head downstream. All along the park there are tiny waterfalls while appearing nearly flat. The area along the river has paved walkways and is landscaped with trees and a small hill. On the east end of the park is a large sculpture by Jan Martin (2004) called River Shards that makes for a cool accent to the plaza where you can relax and enjoy the sight and sound. This is a must see if you appreciate a marriage between art and nature. Review #3089

Family friends are important…read more There's family, of course, and no matter how much you may hate your family, they're ultimately all you've got. OK, that's kind of an overstatement, but as you grow older, you'll probably eventually either regret drifting apart from family members or wonder what kept you apart in the first place. If you're lucky, like I am, you'll recognize early just how important family is. There are friends. Good ones are like great books in that they're extremely rare and no matter how long it is between visits, you'll always feel comfortable, like you're right where you belong. Other friends are more situational. They serve a specific purpose at a specific time, and when that purpose is spent, you must decide whether to stay in touch or to allow time and circumstances to separate you. Family friends are different. They're not family, but you can't get rid of them like you can past-their-expiration-date friends. Yes, you can ignore them, but unlike family and friends, they don't usually hold grudges. They're connected to you, but they're not related to you. They were there before, and they'll be there in the future. If you don't invite them to your kids' weddings, they won't hold it against you. They'll still let you stay over when you're in town for an interview or some other such ridiculousness, and you'll stay up too late talking. Beutter Park is like a family friend. It doesn't feel as comfortable and magical and raw as childhood, but it sticks in your mind, not like regret, but like something or someone you miss and know or at least hope you'll visit again one day. Soon? Maybe. Family friends brought me and my dad here. It was warm and sunny but not humid. In other words, the weather was perfect, and that's so unlike Michiana in the summer. We strolled past sculptures and talked about first cars. I had heard many of the stories before, but that didn't bother me. I can stand repetition among family friends; I don't know why.

This is always a great park to go for Disc Golf and walking your dog! It's over 50 acres of huge…read morehills wide open meadows and an 18 +9 Disc golf course! They also have an amazing view from the tops of the hills of the surrounding towns and even Touchdown Jesus at Notre Dame! There is also a playground for kids and tubing hill weather permitting!

This was the first park I visited in the area and I am glad to say it allowed my visit to get off…read moreto a good start. This small park is located on the west end of a large number of riverside parks in Mishawaka. There is a small parking lot on the east side of the park. From the lot, you can pass through an arbor towards the gazebo in a round central area. The pathways are either paved or brick. Be aware that some of the brick is uneven and could use some attention, but I had no trouble walking comfortably across the few misaligned bricks. The park is very colorful with an assortment of flowers, shrubs and trees that take on many hues. Other than some fallen leaves/petals, the park was kept in pretty clean condition. One additional point of interest is the "Educators" statue near the roadside by local art instructor Harold Tuck Langland (2000). Review #3085

What a pretty garden, a small park packed with a quiet place to visit. Lots of benches and wide…read moresidewalks. Close to the river walk and a nice surprise when you cross the bridge.

This trail follows the east bank of the St. Joseph River. Sidewalk makes it easy to walk/run on the…read moretrail. Scenic views of the St. Joseph River. Connects to other areas like Howard Park. Very enjoyable walk here in this trail. Great dog walk also.

Peaceful nice long walk, my pups loved it! It follows along the river and goes through so many…read moreareas of South Bend

What an absolutely stunning spot for an evening walk! My wife and I visited around sunset, and it…read morefelt like something out of a painting. The path was clean, peaceful, and perfectly maintained--ideal for a romantic stroll or just soaking in nature's beauty. The sunset views were magical. The colors in the sky reflected off the water (or landscape) so beautifully, it felt like time slowed down. We held hands, laughed, and just enjoyed being in the moment together. Benches were thoughtfully placed for relaxing and taking it all in, and the whole area felt incredibly safe and welcoming. Whether you're out for some quiet reflection or a sweet date night stroll like we were, this place delivers. Highly recommend it for couples, photographers, or anyone looking to unwind and enjoy nature's evening show. A perfect 5-star experience!

Mishawaka's parks are nice. They are the only places in the city outside of the original central…read morebusiness area that are pedestrian and bicycle friendly. The city itself has no sidewalks anywhere in the commercial hotel areas, which makes traveling by foot and bike dangerous to one's health!

Beautifully laid out. A great addition to downtown South Bend. It has nice clean bathrooms on…read moresite, places to sit with great views of the river lights at night.

The University of Notre Dame is up to its old shenanigans again. Unless you didn't know, although I…read moreand thousands of loyal Notre Dame fans associate the university with the City of South Bend, Indiana, the university actually lies just to the north of South Bend. It's in unincorporated St. Joseph County, Indiana, and its official place name and mailing address is Notre Dame, Indiana. What does this have to do with Seitz Park? I'm getting there. Let's start with the shenanigans. The South Bend neighborhood immediately south of the university's main entrance was much more rustic and worn down when I was a grad student there. All the lots were small, and most of them had modest one- and two-story single-family houses, which were mostly built in the 1930s and '40s and were largely affordable. Sometime in the late 2000s, Notre Dame started buying up these properties, both those that were empty lots and those with houses still standing, and building McMansions on the sites. This has greatly changed the character of the neighborhood. Sure, it looks "nicer," if you can call it that, but no one who could afford to live in the neighborhood before could afford any of these new gigantic residences. Supposedly, they were built in order to attract faculty members to Notre Dame, but gentrification is usually all about the money, and I'm sure Notre Dame ended up making a killing through the gentrification of the Northeast Neighborhood, even if it lost money in the short term. Again, what does that have to do with Seitz Park? Well, Seitz Park has been closed since 2019 because the University of Notre Dame wanted to diversify its renewable-energy portfolio. Notre Dame offered the City of South Bend at least $1 million toward the reconstruction and improvement of Seitz Park, with the City of South Bend agreeing to close the park while Notre Dame spends $27.1 million to construct hydroelectric turbines beneath the park site in the river. The park was supposed to be closed for a year, but four years later, the city is still waiting for its public space back. All 2.5 megawatts of the new electricity generated by the project will go to Notre Dame (seven percent of its total usage); South Bend won't get a single watt of electricity when all is said and done. Mind you, this is city property within the City of South Bend proper. As usual, Notre Dame uses its considerable money, clout, and prestige to throw its weight around, and God forbid South Bend should have any say on what Notre Dame does on its own property. I hope the park returns soon. The Riverlights Light Forest was pretty cool to see, both from within the park itself and driving across one of the nearby bridges. The fish ladder is also a must-see--hopefully it will remain, and the new power plant won't kill too many fish.

Beautiful stretch of the Elkhart river, can be kayaked or canoed. Refer to the website for access…read morepoints, Defries gardens is a favorite place for me. For fishermen it is somewhat wadeable, there is an incredible amount of dead wood however...which means youre going to have to bank scramble a bit. Many places have park amenities, like picnic tables, parking lots, trails etc. There are great places for kids to safely wade and play in the water, plenty of wildlife to see and photo opportunities. Its very wild, be prepared for mud, mosquitos, sticker bushes and the like. This is not a city park.