Coffee Creek is a terrific place for light hiking in Chesterton. The trails are maintained making…read moreit accessible for everyone.

A very cute nature preserve. It's not very big. I walked the whole thing in under 2 hours, and…read morethat was stopping and taking pictures and enjoying my surroundings. Multiple little bridges, a pond, and even an amphitheater. There are multiple benches throughout the park and there is a pavilion. Super cute. Beautiful area. I recommend checking it out.

Indiana Dunes State Park was the first stop on my road trip across America, and unfortunately, it…read morewas a pretty disappointing experience. I came here really excited and ready to hike, but visiting in the summertime meant dealing with an unbelievable number of mosquitoes. I expected bugs, but I have never seen anything like this! My friend and I were completely covered in mosquito repellent, and it honestly felt like we were walking through a fog of mosquitoes. We were literally trying to run down the trail to get away from them. There was hardly anyone else around, which we quickly understood because the conditions were so difficult. We kept going for about 20 minutes hoping the bugs would eventually clear up, but they never did, so unfortunately, we had to turn around. The beach itself was nice, but I didn't come here for the beach I came to hike and experience the trails. I was really disappointed that we couldn't actually enjoy the hike because of the mosquitoes. Maybe it would be a completely different experience at another time of year, but based on our summer visit, I can only give it

State park is $7 per car for Indiana residents and $20 for all other. Great nature views. Dunes…read moreare fun to climb and run/walk down. Beaches are beautiful and water is cold early in the season. The day I went there was a high wave advisory so they didn't let people in the water. Best views of the lake are from observation tower located west of the pavilion. Waves are loud if the wind is blowing from the north. You can see the City of Chicago skyline from anywhere on the beach when it is clear weather conditions. No pets on the beach and it does tend to get crowded when the weather is nice. Walking/hiking paths are available and some go the the highest points in the park where the views are breathtaking.

Beautiful clean park! Nice neighborhood, very well taken care of and the equipment was very fun for…read moremy kids!

This is a very good park to visit and spend time. It has a little bit of everything. You do have to…read morepay an entrance fee during the summer months. There is ample parking once you get in though. The park has a little lake that you can swim in (if a lifeguard is precent). Around the beach/lake is a walking path, that does get a bit narrow in some parts. It is paved and well maintained. There is also covered pavilions around the park there are 4 decent sized ones with grills. One even has a patio that overlooks the beach/lake.In addition to the large and medium sized pavilions, there are a few personal sized ones scattered about the park. At the front of the park is an adequate baseball field. It is well groomed and ready to play on. Next to the ball field is a full basketball court. It is nice and has a smooth new looking deck. The rims are in good repair and have adjustable heights. I would love to shoot a few airballs here. In the back of the park is a dog park that is basically a fenced in area with a bench placed in there for you to sit and watch your pooch frolic. Behind the entrances to the lake is a sand volleyball court that needs a little TLC. The net was down while I was there, but did not look like it would take much to get the court back up and running. The park has two playground areas. The bigger of the playground areas is next to the baseball field. It has some pretty updated and newer equipment including, see-saws, merry go rounds, rock climbing walls, swings, rocking animals, a saucer swing and slide. The ground is covered in wood chips and has rubber mats in high traffic areas such as under the swings. The playground is very impressive. The other playground is by the lake entrance and is ok, but not as nice as the one on the other side. It has a set of the older style swings and a small jungle gym with a slide. Both play areas are accessible though, which is cool. I really like this park and was surprised that this is the first review. You can spend an entire day here and not even know it. There is a lot to do and it is a very relaxing place. It is well maintained and has a friendly staff. definetley a must visit.

A beautiful park, playground and experience. I came here for a few hours because the Plugshare app…read moreindicated that they have Level 1 power outlets here. Yes, they do. All along the fenceline. While the Sprinter van was charging, I took the time to enjoy this space. It was originally a fully functioning farm that was purchased by Colonel Robert Heffron Murray and his wife in 1934. After Colonel Murray passed away in 1972, his estate donated the land to Porter County. Now, it has walking trails, an accessible playground, some learning and caption signs and even cross-country skiing. The park offers seasonal tent camping. No RVs or cars or trailer campsites. But the parking lot is huge and you can certainly park here to visit. [Review 20602 overall - 136 in Indiana - 1583 of 2023.]

Bought Lions Club tickets and no numbers were called even though we were told they would be. We…read morewaited- nothing. This is fraud.

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

My 2 year-old and I LOVED this playground (and the pun in the name is just amazing)!…read more When you walk in, you're immediately greeted with a shaded parent area. This is great if you have older kids, but since there are two (that I saw) other entrances, it's still best to follow behind younger kids if you want to make sure they don't leave the park. There is an area called Tot Lot for toddlers, which is a scaled-down version of the rest of the park with baby swings, smaller slides, climbing structures, mounted instruments, etc. We spent some time here, but my son was really drawn to the main playground. The main area is truly a wonderland for littles. With ramps, slides, swings, ropes, obstacles, and a zip line, there is never a dull moment. We visited on a day that was about 90 degrees, so there were only 1-2 other families with us at a time, but the kids that were there all gathered in the shade beneath the main structure. There was fun to be had even under there, with the different ceiling heights and areas making playing tag or hide & seek a blast for everyone. Personally, my favorite part was the large, adult-sized swing (I regretfully did not get a photo... because I was on it the whole time!). It's a standalone swing that is supported by 4 cables. The actual seat is so comfortable it makes me wonder why all playgrounds don't have these! I imagine it's truly for older kids with different abilities, but on a slow day it was my perch. I could see the whole park, including under the main structure and 2/3 entrances, so I just enjoyed the breeze while my son played tag with his new friends. There is also a picnic area and restroom building that looked nice from far away, but we did not check them out. The whole place seems very structurally sound and well-maintained. I was positive it must be brand new because of the quality, so imagine my surprise on the way out when I noticed it had last been renovated in 2014 (11 years ago). Overall, if I could give this playground 10 stars I would. Great job, Valparaiso!

This is likely one of the best playgrounds that we have recently visited…read more We arrived early on a Sunday morning before it got busy. The vast playground has a rubbery ground and is consisted of a section for young toddlers and a larger area for older children. We have two young, energetic daughters so we gained quite a bit of steps in chasing after them as they kept running between the different play areas. I am under the impression that either everything is brand new or incredibly well-maintained. The playground equipment appear to be high-end with exceptional diversity and quality. There are several wooden structures, multi-level jungle-gyms, swings, climbing structures, slides, monkey bars with different height levels, and zip line. Several themes were highlighted in the play spaces too - from fire trucks to solar systems to Vikings. There was never a dull moment in the two hours that we spent there.

I was here for the lighthouse and enjoyed much of the walk. I would have gone the whole way but the…read morewind was too strong for my comfort. And also, I hadn't purchased a park pass and didn't want to stay long enough that they might notice. The park and the riverwalk are lovely. The view of the lake is amazing. Well worth the visit. If you're planning on buying an annual park pass, it's even better. [Review 20619 overall - 150 in Indiana - 1600 of 2023.]

We love the lakefront, it is a great spot to hang out and watch the sunset. In the summer they will…read morehave entertainment at the food court area. They have a nice walking path as well.

We only had a morning to explore the park and enjoyed our short journey. There was construction…read moregoing on so we had to detour to make it to the beach but it was worth the drive. There was a large parking lot, showers to remove sand and restrooms near the beach. It was beautiful scenery and my kids loved looking for "beach treasures". Perfect for a beautiful September day.

A family beach day at Indiana Dunes on August 9, 2024, became a humiliating and traumatic…read moreexperience. My husband and I brought our four children, ages 9, 7, 3, and 1, along with my sister and her 9-year-old son. After lifeguards warned us to stay knee-deep because of strong waves, my nephew went slightly too far into the water twice. We apologized and understood the safety concern. Instead of simply asking us to leave, security escalated the situation: my husband was detained on the beach, and I was repeatedly prevented from returning to our children, who were only 30-40 feet away. I watched my 9-year-old daughter cry while a stranger comforted her and tried to help her wrangle my 3 and 1-year olds. When another National Park law-enforcement officer arrived, I asked whether I could return to my children. He immediately said yes, making the first officer's refusal even harder to understand. The situation was humiliating and frightening for our family, especially over a minor safety violation involving a 9-year-old child (and again - this child was not even ours, it was my sister's son). We later requested records and video through FOIA so the incident could be independently reviewed. Despite our efforts, they never provided us with the footage. We fully support enforcing water-safety rules. If we needed to leave, we would have left. But there was no reason a simple safety issue had to become detention, separation from our children, and public humiliation. Our family experienced none of the judgment, proportionality, or basic humanity that day. We will never return to Indiana Dunes. When we want a beach day now, we drive past Indiana and continue to Michigan.

I recently attended a wedding at Foundation Meadows Park. The venue is stunning, featuring…read morebeautiful outdoor spaces and a very cool gazebo, perfect for a memorable celebration!

Great park with 3 levels of slides. Beautiful walking paths and public bathrooms. Entire play area…read morehas rubber pellets to protect the kids when they fall. Trust me, they will fall, they are kids!!! Two covered pavilions that make for a great place to have a meal/snack. This park is less crowded than ValPlayso while valplayso has more to do!!! This park is one of the many reasons Valparaiso, IN is an amazing place to visit and live!!

My favorite zoo!!! I grew up going here when I was younger and it's always amazing to see how it's…read moreevolved. The location is beautiful, the animals look happy and well cared for, and the experiences are unforgettable.

This place is not worth the drive. The cost to enter is…read morehigh. The parking is very unpleasant. Will never return again. Very disappointed by the recreational department that runs this area. There is something mentally deficient with these folks. A V O I D - at all costs.