Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore - Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Development (U.S. National Park Service)

Park Facility	Trail Map	GPS Latitude & Longitude		Street Address
Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk	.	N 41 37.862	W 87 10.696	Southwest corner of Burns Waterway and Lake Michigan; Portage, Indiana 46383

Former site of water treatment lagoons

In October 2004, the National Park Service purchased the last remaining Lake Michigan shoreline property within the boundary of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The 57 acres was former industrial property of National Steel located on the shoreline at the northwest corner of the mouth of Burns Waterway.

The park’s enabling legislation includes authority to enter into cooperative agreements for the development and management of recreational facilities as a way to pay for visitor services the NPS cannot afford and to extend cooperation with local governments. The National Park Service entered into a cooperative agreement with the City of Portage to build and operate visitor facilities for the National Park Service on this land.

	Lakefront & Riverwalk Construction (19 Photos) Photos taken during the construction of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore's Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk View Album \| View Slideshow

November 2008 will mark the opening of the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk within Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The site will provide access to an area of the park not previously available to the public. The land, buildings, and all facilities at this site are owned by the National Park Service. Though the site is part of the national lakeshore and owned by the National Park Service, it is within the city limits of Portage, which presents the opportunity for this partnership.

Located on the west side of the Burns Waterway Harbor, the new facility will offer parking for 125 cars, an accessible fishing pier, a riverwalk along Burns Waterway, a rehabilitated breakwater, various hike/bike trails, access to the beach, and a 3,500 square foot pavilion.

The pavilion will include restrooms, a small food service area, and a glass walled meeting and classroom. It is a beautiful addition to the landscape while providing a showcase for environmentally responsible design. The pavilion is a Gold LEED certified building. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council. The standards evaluate environmental performance from a “whole building” perspective over a building’s life cycle, providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a “green building”. By achieving a score of 71-80% of the available credits it achieved the Gold standard.

stone wall out into water with smooth walkway on top with equipment installing hand rails

Breakwater with new handrails being installed. July 17, 2008

The riverwalk will have stair access from the south parking area and will have trail access from the north end of the site. All facilities in the development meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accessible trails will connect the south parking lots with the northern facilities with a paved trail through the restored lagoons and will provide a route to the rehabilitated 900 foot breakwater, fishing pier and riverwalk. The breakwater has received a new concrete cap and handrails on both sides to provide an opportunity to view the area with a new perspective.

Getting to the new development may seem a challenge until visitors become familiar with the route. The site is presently closed to the public during its construction phase. When opened, the park is accessed by SR 249 and the bridge over US 12 to U.S. Steel and PreCoat Metals in Portage, Indiana. At the stop sign at the north end of the bridge, visitors will turn left over Burns Waterway and then right at the sign for Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk. Enjoy the scenic drive to the lake.

Lakefront & Riverwalk Construction (19 Photos)