Can You Come Out to Play

Portage residents place a high priority on enjoying the four seasons — that’s one reason there are more than 550 acres of parkland under the City of Portage Park and Recreation Department’s umbrella. Among our jewels:

• Imagination Glen Park features softball fields, soccer fields, shelters and even a trout stream. But it’s known best among mountain bikers seeking a challenging ride. The Outback Trail Mountain Bike Challenge held here each fall attracts the best in this sport at all age ranges.

• Woodland Park’s tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, indoor and outdoor basketball courts see plenty of action from organized and impromptu players.

• Countryside Park, located along the Prairie-Duneland Trail, boasts one of the more popular sledding hills in the area. The Portage Historical Museum at this site also draws plenty of families.

It’s no wonder most businesses in the area jump at the chance to form slow- and fast-pitch softball teams for friendly competition under the evening lights. Neither do volleyball, youth soccer, basketball, Pop Warner football or Little League baseball efforts lack for plenty of players eager to square off at Gilbert Park.

And, of course, residents may indulge in individual sports like bowling, karate, archery, track and field, and fishing throughout the year. Community facilities like the YMCA and Portage Boys and Girls Club fill in the exercise gap with work-out equipment aerobics classes in addition to their organized recreation programs.

A new golf course near the Portage Public Marina joins the existing public 18-hole course to extend golfers plenty of chances to work on their swings. A total of 30 golf courses are spread out throughout Northwest Indiana.

Outdoor Life — The Great Outdoors

Whether you prefer hiking, swimming, sailing or picnicking, Portage dangles the mother lode of outdoor opportunities, beginning with West Beach and Inland Marsh sections of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Here alone residents enjoy a total of 1,000 acres of recreation — immaculate quartz sand beaches, nature trails, and a challenging climb up the Mt. Baldy sand dune that puts any boring Stairmaster routine to shame.

The newer Portage Public Marina is also a hit with residents and visitors alike as this public dock provides a launching pad for pleasure boating on Lake Michigan. (Private marinas, of course, also handle residents’ fuel and storage needs.)

The six-mile Prairie-Duneland Trail built in 1996 appeals to land-lubbers interested in working the kinks out with a breezy bike ride, a fast spin on roller blades or a leisurely stroll. There’s room for all speeds, especially as city officials continue to expand this greenway into neighboring communities.

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