Calumet Bike Trail

The Calumet Bike Trail is a 9.2-mile, one-way multi-use path from the West Trailhead on Mineral Springs Road to the East Trailhead on U.S. 12 near County Line Road. It stays nearly level beside the South Shore rail line and a utility corridor. Think long cross-park connector through dune country, not a beach or dune-top hike. The useful part is how many other walks it links; the tradeoff is a long, fairly steady corridor. Allow about 4½ to 5 hours on foot. Walking back to your car makes the outing roughly 18.4 miles.

From the west end, the trail shares access with Porter Brickyard and Cowles Bog. It reaches Dune Park South Shore station, where the Dunes-Kankakee route and Indiana Dunes State Park trails connect. At East State Park Road/Kemil, you can cross U.S. 12 for Glenwood Dunes and the separate Calumet Dunes Trail. Farther east, Broadway in Beverly Shores links Great Marsh Trail and Dunewood Campground; the east parking lot is near the Mount Baldy Beach Trail. Those are different walks, so keep to the Calumet corridor if you're following this route end to end.

The path runs through a working rail and utility corridor, with grassy and wetland edges, cattails, and dragonflies reported along the way. It doesn't deliver a string of big dune or lake views; its appeal is the easy grade and the connections between park areas. If you're looking for changing terrain and a scenic payoff every mile, choose one of the shorter dune trails instead.

The grade is very gentle, but the surface switches between asphalt and rough gravel. Low stretches can hold deep standing water, and loose or uneven patches can slow you down, especially after rain. Expect little shade. Neither endpoint has potable water, so plan that before you start. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet.

Start at the West Trailhead lot on North Mineral Springs Road and finish at the East Trailhead lot on U.S. 12. Dune Park and Beverly Shores South Shore stations give you mid-route access for a shorter section, but they're not the trail's endpoints. Arrange a pickup or a second car before setting out for the full walk.