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The Marquette Trail is part of the Marquette Greenway, which will one day span more than 50 miles through Northwest Indiana, connecting communities along the southern shore of Lake Michigan.
The 2-mile Marquette Trail offers picturesque views of the forests and nature surrounding Lake Michigan as it travels through the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. This scenic route follows a former rail line through a variety of diverse habitats, including hardwood forests, wetlands, and rolling dunes. Along the way, trail-goers can enjoy catching a glimpse of the water birds, deer, lizards, and other wildlife that call this area home.
An upcoming new section of the Marquette Greenway will span 3 miles in the Town of Burns Harbor.
On the eastern end of the trail, ample parking and restroom facilities are available at West Beach in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The entrance to the beach is off County Line Road; watch for West Beach signage on US 12 or US 20.
On 8/27/24, the National Park Service issued a solicitation for bids to improve the Marquette Trail within its boundaries as part of the overall Marquette Greenway project. Approximately 2.5 miles of the existing trail will become a 10-foot wide asphalt multi-use trail with 2-foot gravel shoulders, and include a new bridge. It looks like completion will be in 2026. Other segments of the Marquette Greenway are complete around Burns Harbor and Michigan City, and more will open by Fall 2024.
I did not know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. The area was quiet and peaceful. Saw bunnies, some type of lizard and a beautiful deer on just my first ride. Easy access and a few places to sit and rest when needed. Definitely will return.
It's small and kind of gravelly, so use a mountain bike or hybrid. But it's a great little trail - not too long for the kids and gorgeous scenery!
I was really quite amazed the first time I rode this trail. Gary and the surrounding area is known more for steel mills and dense urban housing than for wildlife and nature. And after riding through the streets of Gary to get here, it was a relief and a nice contrast to be in the quite woods seemingly miles from civilization. The lizards I spotted on the ride caught me off guard. I haven't seen since on my other times down this trail but then timing is everything.
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