Trails for Paddling, Hiking, and Biking

Gary’s Miller Beach neighborhood sits at the heart of over 20 miles of interconnected biking and hiking trails. This trail system links the Miller South Shore station, the Indiana Dunes National Park, Marquette Park, and downtown Miller Beach.

Lake Street Bike Path connects it all together:

Paved, off street bike lane along Lake Street for 1.5 miles. Starts at the South Shore’s Miller train station and ends at on Lake Michigan. Along the way, there are 5 blocks of downtown Miller Beach shops and restaurants, then a lovely section of the Indiana Dunes National Park with a large parking lot for the Douglas Nature Center and the trails through Miller Woods.

In that section of the national park, the Douglas Nature Center entrance is only 10 minutes from the train station (or 20 minutes by foot). This is also a connection point to the Marquette Trail, where a new trailhead is scheduled to be paved in 2025.

Continue north to end at Lake Street Beach and Miller Woods Beach on Lake Michigan for a gorgeous Chicago skyline view. At that point, there is a trailhead for the short but scenic Chanute Trail through the dunes to the main parking area and lagoon in Marquette Park where there are more scenic Lake Michigan views.

This special trail connects many scenic places plus restaurants and shops. It is a “must do” way to visit the national park. It is fairly level, paved the entire way, and off street - making it safe, easy, and fun for a family outing.

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Bayless Dune Trail

Sandy. Take a scenic dune hike through wooded areas, dunes, and blow outs marked with interpretive signage. Located at 8975-9047 Indian Boundary Road, Gary, IN. Inside the Shirley Heinz Preserve in the northeast residential section of the Miller Beach neighborhood.

Photo Credit: Tom Cera

Marquette Park Loop

Paved. 1 1/2 mile. Bike path circling Marquette Park in with gorgeous views of Lake Michigan and oak savanna habitat. Passes the kayak launch on the Calumet Lagoon, the Marquette Pavilion, and the historic Gary Aquatorium, and the lakefront playground.

Beachfront Trail

Sandy. Over 3.5 miles of beautiful public beaches are open year round for walking along the Lake Michigan. Miller Woods Beach starts at the west end, to Lake Street Beach, then Marquette Beach, stretching east across the entire Miller Beach neighborhood. See beaches page for public parking available Lake Street beach, Marquette Park Beach, Wells Street Beach and West Beach. Miller Beach has 3.5 miles of the 15 miles of Indiana Dunes beaches, all lined by lovely sand dunes and connects directly to another 1.5 miles of public beaches on the east.

Miller Woods Trail

Sandy. 1 1/2 mile. This trail connects to the Paul H Douglas Center and winds through oak savannas habitat, dune and swale habitat, across the Calumet Lagoon, thru sand dunes, and ends up on Miller Woods Beach, the westernmost beach in the Indiana Dunes National Park with gorgeous views of Chicago. It features an awe inspiring bloom of millions of lupines every May that is lauded as a beautiful sensory experience in many nature books and publications. During warms months, there are displays of wildflowers.

Easily loop back on the Lake Street bike path for a faster return to the Douglas Nature Center by walking east a couple of hundred yards to the parking area. The national park was dedicated on this trail!

Chanute Trail

Paved. Connects Lake Street Beach and Marquette Beach. Extensive views of wetlands and open dunes, with peeks of Lake Michigan.

There is trailhead at the west end of Marquette Park beach parking lot, to the east end of the Lake Street Beach parking lot where it connects to the Lake Street Bike Path.

Take any of the sandy paths north of the paved trail to access the beach. This fun trail is easy to walk, or bicycle between two beach areas.

Coyote Trail

Sandy. Connects the hill across from the Marquette Pavillion, through an oak forest across small dune ridges over to the parking lot on the south end of Marquette Park.

It’s a short but fun little walk up and down on the dunes through the woods. There is trailhead at the top of the hill across from the Marquette Pavilion and another at the break between the parking areas on the south end of the park between two parking areas.

Nelson Algren / Simone de Beauvoir Trail

Paved. Short connection to Marquette Park Pavilion from east end of Forest Avenue off of Lake Street. Oak savannas & views of the Calumet Lagoon. Begins adjacent to the former home of famous author Nelson Algren at the end of Forest Avenue near the Calumet lagoon and let’s out next to the Marquette Pavillion in Marquette Park.

Author Nelson Algren wrote his book “Man with the Golden Arm” here winning the National Book Award for Fiction. It was made into a movie starring Frank Sinatra. Simone deBeauvoir worked on her manuscript for “the Second Sex”, and internationally famous groundbreaking work of feminist philosophy.

Paul H. Douglas Trail and ADA loop (Miller Woods)

Paved. Gorgeous views and trails through wooded areas and interdunal ponds. Lovely picnic areas with grills. Boardwalk trail leads hikers over a beautiful interdunal pond and marshlands. 1 mile hard pack trail loop is suitable for people with disabilities or families with strollers. Enter next to the Paul H. Douglas Center (the western visitor center for the Indiana Dunes National Park). Hikers can follow the trail north to reach Lake Michigan and Miller Woods Beach.

This is the only section of the national park that features both globally rare dune and swale topography and oak savannas. Because of its diverse habitats and rich history, the Indiana Dunes National Park chose to dedicate the park here in 2019.

Marquette Trail

Hard Pack/ Gravel. (aka Marquette Greenway Trail) Beautiful views of Long Lake, scenic wetlands with beaver lodges, oak savannas, and forested dunes. This east- west trail connects West Beach to the Douglas Nature Center on Lake Street.

Cuts through the center of the Miller Beach neighborhood. Additional trailheads at Grand Avenue and Montgomery Streets about 1/2 mile south of the lake. Note: Grand Avenue to West Beach is great for bike riding. Grand Avenue to the Paul H. Douglas Center parking lot is good for hiking and not recommended for biking at this time. West of Lake Street is rough gravel. The intersection with Lake Street is only 2 blocks north of downtown Miller Beach.

This is 6 mile section comprises of the 60 mile regional Marquette Trail that starts in Chicago and ends in New Buffalo, Michigan, all within very scenic and varied Indiana Dunes National Park lands..

This trail is scheduled for paving from West Beach to Lake Street, and then west from Lake Street to downtown Gary in 2025 (at Broadway near Union Station).

The National Park Service has been seeding a pollinator trail on this greenway which creates colorful beauty through all of the bloom seasons.

West Beach - Indiana Dunes National Park

Sandy & Boardwalks. The West Beach area at Indiana Dunes National Park is located at the eastern end of the Miller Beach neighborhood. This is the site of “Diana of the Dunes Dare” famous Succession Trail. It starts at the beach and winds through dunes, pines, deciduous forest, and up many stairs to a scenic overview with panoramic views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan. The West Beach trails include The Long Lake Trail, the West Beach trail, and the Dune Succession Trails, which wind through wetlands and dunes. Listed as an Important Birding Area by the Audubon Society.

Diana of the Dunes (her real name was Mabel Gray) lived in this section of the national park but was a frequent visitor in the “Town of Miller”, now known as Miller Beach to see friends and get provisions.

paddle board and kayak lake michigan water trail

Lake Michigan Water Trail stop in Marquette Park

Water Trail with entry from sandy beaches and launches: This trail stretches about 40 miles from Whiting (near the Illinois border) to Michigan City (near the Michigan border). Marquette Park is one of 12 distinct access points along the route located in the main section of the park near the Beach Buds concession in the park at Access Point Latitude and Longitude: 41.619, -87.256.

Paddlers will see white sand beaches, towering dunes, forested bluffs, industrial hubs, bustling ports, and fabulous sunsets and cloud formations with a panoramic view of the Chicago skyline.

Large ships (freighters, lakers, barges, and tugs) are commonly seen on this route and could be encountered near marinas and industrial ports. Use your paddle as a signal to make yourself visible and use a horn/whistle. Recreational boats and jet skis are common during the warm months. Follow safety protocols.