Creek Ridge County Park in Michigan City, IN (Blog Hike #1091)

Trails: Norm Pahs, Prairie, Steelheaders Boardwalk, and Woodard Loop Trails
Hike Location: Creek Ridge County Park
Geographic Location: Michigan City, IN (41.66908, -86.85200)
Length: 1.3 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: October 2025
Overview: A mostly flat loop through woodland and wetlands.
Park Information: https://laportecountyparks.org/parks/creek-ridge-county-park/
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming September 22, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: In northwest Indiana, take I-94 to US 421 (exit 34B).  Exit and go north on US 421.  Drive US 421 north 0.3 miles to Kieffer Road and turn right on Kieffer Rd.  Drive Kieffer Rd. east 2.1 miles to the signed park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, then turn right at the first intersection to park in the large blacktop lot near the dog park.

The hike: Located on the south side of Michigan City less than 2 miles from I-94, Creek Ridge County Park consists of 112 acres of mostly flat ridgetop land overlooking Trail Creek.  The park's roots date to 1992 when Aubrey and Judith Greenberg donated the land to Indiana's Department of Natural Resources.  LaPorte County subsequently leased the land from the State of Indiana to form the park.

            Creek Ridge County Park has some popular amenities including a dog park, a playground, 3 picnic shelters, and a 9-hole disc golf course.  For hikers, the park offers 4 short trails, none of which measure more than 0.5 miles in length.  This hike uses parts of all 4 trails to form a grand loop tour around the park.  While this park is not a hiking destination by itself, it makes a nice add-on if you are visiting nearby Indiana Dunes State Park or Indiana Dunes National Park.

Start of Norm Pahs Trail

            Start on the asphalt Norm Pahs Trail, an ADA-accessible trail that enters the woods across the mowed-grass area southwest of the large parking lot.  The trailhead area features a dense pine forest, but most of this hike passes through broadleaf forest with plenty of oak, hickory, and beech trees.  Where the asphalt trail turns left, continue straight to begin the dirt/grass Prairie Trail as it continues east along the south boundary of the dog park.  All trails at this park are unmarked and unlabeled on the ground, but they are wide and easy to follow.

Hiking the Prairie Trail

            The Prairie Trail forms a loop through the east end of the park, and it is somewhat misnamed: most of the trail passes through young shrubby forest that is a mixture of red cedar and broadleaf trees.  I have read that bugs and mud can be problems on this trail, but the hiking was pleasant if unspectacular on the cool early October morning when I hiked here.  The terrain is very flat with imperceptible elevation changes.  At 0.5 miles, you pass through a pipeline corridor before curving left and returning to the paved Norm Pahs Trail near the park's restroom building.  Turn right twice to begin a short out-and-back on the Steelheaders Boardwalk.

Trail Creek wetlands

            The Steelheaders Boardwalk switchbacks downhill to reach an overlook of Trail Creek and its associated wetlands at 0.7 miles.  This boardwalk gets its name because every year steelhead and salmon migrate up Trail Creek from Lake Michigan.  I did not see any unusual fish on my visit, but the creekside area was still quite scenic.

Hiking the Woodard Loop

            Retrace your steps back up the boardwalk, then turn right twice to begin the dirt Woodard Loop Trail, which forms a loop through the western part of the park.  A red wooden post marks the start of this trail.  The wide dirt Woodard Loop is more scenic than the Prairie Trail: some large maple trees grow here, and some wooden bridges take you over ravines to keep the trail at a relatively constant elevation.  Just past 1.2 miles, the Woodard Loop ends at the park road.  Angle right to return to the large parking lot and complete the hike.