Beautiful lakefront! I loved every moment of it, I was able to capture some really nice pictures.read more

I had the opportunity recently to visit Whiting, Indiana, a community of just under 5,000 people in…read moreLake County and less than 20 miles from Chicago. It's a beautiful community that weaves together the wonder of Lake Michigan, the skyline of Chicago, and a historical vibe with a strong industrial influence. When most people think of Lake County, they think of Gary or maybe East Chicago. Crown Point, another underrated and beautiful community, is actually the county seat. I've done three of my Tenderness Tour events to Chicago and have wheeled through Whiting. I'm a huge Lake Michigan fan and always make a point of getting as much time near the lake as possible. Whiting Lakefront Park is, you guessed it, actually on the lakefront of Lake Michigan. It encompasses around 15 acres and includes play areas, walking paths, picnic facilities, a concessions area, two sand volleyball courts, a fishing pier, flower gardens, and a wonderful fish pond that is idea for peaceful contemplation. Because this is on Lake Michigan, it's a popular spot for events both private and public. As is true of nearly every public park in Lake County, it's also within view of some industrial scenes and, yes, this does somewhat detract from the entire experience. That said, it's still really amazing. The park is located adjacent to Whihala Beach, a public beach in Whiting. Whihala Beach has a floating water park, standup paddle boards, kayaks, fishing, restrooms, swimming, a public boat launch and ramp, and much more. Whiting Lakefront Park is open daily from 7am-8pm. It's my understanding that they definitely enforce the times and are known to tow unauthorized vehicles unless arrangements are in advance or there's a rental agreement. The park, and in fact the city, is named after Herbert L. "Pop" Whiting, a trainman who apparently was actually killed in a crash here. A little bit about the city - scenes from the movies "Rudy" and "Four Friends" were shot in Whiting. There's lots of historic buildings here including a Carnegie Library and the Hoosier Theatre. The community was developed largely out of the railroads and Standard Oil Company. It is considered a Southern Shores community. The park is a landing place for migrating birds and has Purple Martin houses. The park is friendly to both vehicles and pedestrian traffic. While accessibility isn't quite perfect, it's surprisingly good. Most parking is metered and dogs are allowed on the trails if leashed. It is important to note that dogs can only be on the beach during the off-season from after Labor Day to Memorial Day. They must be leashed. The park does have bathrooms, as well. The trails are all well cared for and quite wheelchair friendly I found. I also felt like the play areas were quite child-friendly, though not perfectly accessible. This park is the most popular park in Whiting with a combination of history, beautiful views, and great amenities. I definitely recommend giving Whiting a visit if you're in the Lake County area. Of course, you're also quite close to Indiana Dunes National Park.

I have a mixed review of Wolf Lake. It is quite beautiful in spring, summer and fall. I went with…read moremy family and we have avid fishermen who frequent the lake year around. The problem is that with the heavy snowfall this winter in the Chicago area, the main access road around the lake has been blocked from lack of plowing. My family members ice fish in the winter and so do others so the blocked access road has made it nearly impossible to get to the fishing spots. They have parked near the Chicago entrance and walked across several of the lakes dragging equipment sometimes 2 or 3 miles. Can someone pass the word to the right authorities to please plow the access road(s) around Wolf Lake. This is a public safety issue. Thanks in advance! Gone fishing......

Is Northwest Indiana a desert composed of rusting hulks of shuttered steel mills, abandoned homes,…read moreand refineries? Well, yeah, actually, a lot of it is, but there are some places, still a few, that remind you what this flat land was like before humans came in and changed most of it. You can ride the bike trail near Robinson Lake, fish, boat, play on the swing set, or, if you're really lucky like my friend and I, come by on a windswept autumn afternoon when no one else is around. You're not really in a wilderness at the Robinson Lake preserve. I-65 passes to the west, and there's no escape from the pervasive background hum of thousands of vehicles. You can tune it out a bit, though, and hear the breeze moving the leaves, watch a hawk circle overhead, and breathe in the fresh air sweetened by all the wildflowers and prairie plants growing nearby. Robinson Lake, and the bike trail, sneak up on you when you're driving down Liverpool Road, between 49th and 61st. You wonder why there is a parking lot. Finally, one day, you stop, get out of the car, and stretch your legs on the paved bike trail, or wander the grassy shore of this small lake. It must get crowded in summer, but in this shoulder season, it's heavenly. We walked only a little ways in both directions from the parking lot. We walked over the grass and admired the beautiful wild flowers. We breathed, deeply, and drew in the peace and serenity of the place. I wish I'd had a chair with me. Then I might've just sat for a while, watched the dark clouds blow overhead, and soak in the stillness of the place. I will be back.

Nice small beach yet crowded because of the air show. Parking is plentiful and you can bring your…read morejet skis here. Lifeguards on duty and there are tables for eating along with benches scattered everywhere to take in the views.

My family and I love this beach! Super clean safe and…read morefun!!!! I can't wait to go back in the summer!!!

Nice area for walking. Trail was marked decently. It was very muddy as we went after rain. I…read morerecommend bringing a change of shoes for your walk. Decent amount of parking. Porta potties.

This beautiful Preserve has gorgeous walking trails around three lakes. You can join the preserve…read moreand purchase a fishing permit. It is beautiful when the leaves turn during the fall but open year round. A peaceful place in the middle of suburbia. A large picnic shelter with picnic tables throughout area. The Boy Scouts utilize Black Bear Lodge for their meetings and often do projects to maintain and improve the walking paths. A lovely place to visit.

A fantastic park is on the far South Side with some cool scenery including a beach. Calumet Park is…read moreone of my lesser appreciated favorites. It just about is as close as you can get to Indiana. Beach of course is the best part about here. The rest of the park has some gardens and hiking trails. Either in summer or winter it's a beautiful place for hanging. It has a few big parking lots. There's plentiful parking meaning it's usually easy to find somewhere. Beach is the most notable feature. This goes along a few miles. Certainly it isn't always pretty around here. There's some ugly old factories, including those across the lake in Gary, but besides that it's beautiful mostly. Be warned about the nuisances here, which include birds and bugs. It's especially bad in the summer. This park is most happening then and has features such as athletic facilities and other fun things.

Beautiful park! Plenty of stone walkways, views of the lake, and trees for a relaxing experience…read more The park is huge and plenty of open space and various amenities, and kiddie playgrounds too. We enjoyed walking the dog and the views

Very fun and a great way to enjoy nature. Definitely would recommend, has trails, a park, and…read morerestrooms. Perfect for quick outdoor adventures.

Went there around 1pm was at pit 1 and around 5pm we were told to leave immediately in a…read moredisrespectful way there where no reserve sign placed at pit 1 for a church reunion and the guy from the park recreation name JOE DISRESPECTED ME AND FAMILY and we come here all the time in our city to be treated like this???hope no one else experience this bad situation and i hope the city acts to this inhumane matter that was present on 9/28/25.........

Came to this park for a photo shoot and was so amazed. It was such a quiet and ducked off park…read more They have a rock climbing wall, lots of greenery near the water and I saw a lot of people fishing. The photographer was telling me about the history of the area and it all seems so interesting. Definitely on my list of parks to come crochet when I need peaceful surroundings

Love walking and biking to this spot every weekend and weekday. It is such ha tranquil place to get…read morethe best views of the lake and watch nature here. It is undoubtedly the best trail and park to see natural surroundings, rock climb on the all, get great views fo the city and Indiana, see the past from the boards, and understand Chicago's steel manufacturing contribution to America.