The property offers variety of permitted hunting and trapping activities. The two ponds are a short…read morehike from the parking lot on natural surfaces. The archery range has its own parking area through the pine trees. All guests must register at the main office. The area is good for dog walking but I stay close to the parking lot and the surrounding safety envelope. Be aware of hunting season and wear safety orange if you hike to the ponds. The walking swath is loose sandy soil, so use caution. Sandals, flip flops, or open toe shoes not recommended. Pit toilets are near the parking lot.

This is a State of Indiana recreational area owned and managed by the State of Indiana and staffed…read moreby some very nice folks who are always glad you visited. The property has archery as well as multiple firearms ranges,it also has a couple nice fishing ponds ideal for a family outing/picnic. There is abundant wildlife and hunting can be very good at times. The staff works hard to keep this property clean and safe. If your looking for a nice quite outdoor experience pay these folks a visit.

What a great hike! So calm and peaceful. And the elevated walkways by the canopies are awesome…read more Try and come here if you can. So close to New Buffalo!

What a beautiful spot! The trails aren't very long but provide a great view of the river and the…read moremarshland. One takes you down the hill from the parking lot out onto a boardwalk through the marsh area, which is full of plants, flowers, and animals in the summer, and out onto an overlook to the river. Heading up takes you to a 60 foot high marsh overlook that sways just a little bit and gives you a great view of the area. Fishing is permitted from the lower deck. The park is free to enter. A very enjoyable walk.

This was one of our first state parks to visit as new campers and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay!…read more They were so welcoming! Our campsite was well equipped and perfect for our family. The dump site was brand new and especially user friendly! The scenery was gorgeous. We were there a little late in the season, but the lake was still beautiful and we enjoyed watching all the wildlife.

Do not let your dog is the water here. They have algae that is poisonous to dogs! This can be scary…read morefor people that don't know this.

Nice place to fish, discovered it in the fall. Use heavy line and not your expensive lures unless…read moreyou have waders. There is a lot of line draped across waiting to snag your $10 lures or $50 swim baits. Maybe the county can clean it up. We lost 9 lures one day! Steelhead pictured was caught on a white grub jig.

Good fishing, caught four carp and a smallmouth. Then they let more water out of the dam and the…read morebite stopped

This is a great park for beginning hikers or those short on time. The park, while beautiful is much…read moresmaller than State parks, with trails that are harder to get lost on. There is small playground, a "Sensory Garden" area that has a pond with running water & frogs (for sound), highly scented flowers (for smell) and even some safe to taste herbs (for taste). There is a covered picnic area that can be rented out for parties. It can also be used freely when no parties are booked. One could make a day of this place but it's not a requirement to see everything.

such a beautiful park, i love the trails available very pretty views and everyone that travels is…read morenice. good for walking and biking.

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.

Beautiful park. Very spacious with a lot to do. Tennis. Fishing. Playgrounds. A great outdoor space…read moreto spend time at.

There is so much to do at this park! They have play equipment for kids (and adult kids like me),…read moresoftball field, tennis courts, boat docks/launch, fishing spots, a shady pavilion (I use it for picnics), and a trail for walking/biking. Thankfully their is a restroom because with how long we spent out here, I needed it. I've never used to boat dock, but I've seen it used and people love being able to have access to the water. My favorite is playing tennis with my husband. I've never played softball here because I don't hang out with many people but I enjoy everything else. Lots of space to just enjoy the outdoors. I highly suggest a picnic.

Pinhook finally got an update. They added a very nice blacktop path for walking, some dog…read moreamenities, a new boat launch, and some new fishing piers. New playground equipment as well. Theres been a little bit better landscaping/ lawncare, and they have added new signage for handicapped access/ parking.

Clean park. I was there for a wedding and it was a beautiful day. The park was clean. The river…read morewas delightful and peaceful. There was a small playground. There was also a building on the premise, but I did not go into the building.

I would give a few more stars but i am beyond ticked that the city of Valpo charges admission for a…read morecity park.

Decent facilities needs some updating. Could use a off leash dog area and walking path.read more

As a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, I always cringe when people refer to it as Notre…read moreDame University. That's kind of a personal peeve--although you'd be surprised at how many really well educated people in academia make this mistake--but it's also kind of ridiculous because (a) I'm normally not a pretentious person and (b) the official name of the school isn't the University of Notre Dame. The official name is the University of Notre Dame du Lac. For those of you whose French is rusty, that means "the University of Our Lady of the Lake." "The Lake"? Which lake? Well, despite the fact that the Golden Dome and Touchdown Jesus and the Grotto are far more famous landmarks, Notre Dame has two lakes at the far north end of campus. I'm not sure whether they were man-made or whether they used to be one lake (which would explain why it's not "Our Lady of the Lakes"), but I'm glad they exist and that there are two of them. This review is of St. Mary's Lake, which is the western one. It's a little bit smaller than St. Joseph's Lake, but the main differences between the lakes are that the terrain around St. Mary's Lake is flatter and has less foliage and that it freezes during the winter. (I'll explain in a future review why St. Joseph's Lake doesn't freeze.) I love this lake. When I first visited Notre Dame in 1993, I walked around it a few times, saw all these students jogging around it, and saw people playing chess at a bench on its north (?) side. Although I wanted to come to Notre Dame for many other reasons, that trip cemented my desire. Besides being spectacular in myriad ways, Notre Dame is a beautiful place. I say this as someone who hates most of its architecture. Despite some of the monstrosities that the university has erected, especially recently, the natural beauty of Northern Indiana shines through, and St. Mary's Lake is a good example of that. When I ended up here in grad school (having officially been denied admission three times so far--I would also be denied a fourth time), I walked around St. Mary's Lake a bunch of times. In fact, I bet I circled the lake more times in September and October 2001 than I did the rest of the time I was at Notre Dame. Grad school is busy, and I found so many other unique campus landmarks that reinforced my connection to this physical place. It's not that I began to dislike St. Mary's Lake; it's that I began to appreciate other things as well. I never did play chess with anyone on that bench, but I did have some pretty amazing conversations with people while walking around the lakes, and it was always fun each spring to watch the ducks and geese showing off their offspring.

Used to fish here when i was little and mom worked on campus. Great memories. Fishing ok. Campus…read morehas changed. More uptight.