The City of Michigan City has announced the opening of the Singing Sands Trail. The official ribbon cutting Oct. 2, at 11 a.m. at City Hall. The trail is Michigan City’s segment of the regional Marquette Greenway Trail that connects Chicago area trails to trails in southwest Michigan. The non-motorized trail is open to the public year-round and follows ADA and Recreational Trails guidelines.
The west end of the trail connects to the Calumet Trail at the Porter/LaPorte County line on Highway 12. Heading east you will encounter views overlooking an Indiana Dunes National Park wetland where you can observe a large variety of plants and animals. The City says after crossing Highway 12 near the entrance to Mount Baldy, the trail takes on an industrial feel, riding along the railroad tracks and next to the NIPSCO cooling tower.
The trail heads east toward City Hall in close proximity to the Uptown Arts District. The trail turns southeast on Michigan Blvd. giving access to Westcott Park and the Trail Creek Marina. The trail heads east on 8th Street to Winding Creek Cove Park. Winding Creek Cove Park offers off street parking, two hiking trails, a wildlife observation deck, fishing and a kayak launch on the banks of Trail Creek. The trail then crosses Trail Creek on the Peanut Bridge, a repurposed railroad bridge. The trail the heads east along the north side of the creek and features two boardwalks along the creek. The trail ends at Liberty Trail. This segment of the trail is 3.6 miles long. The final phase of the trail is approximately 5 miles long and will end at the Michigan City’s city limit on Meer Road where LaPorte County will construct the remainder of the trail taking it to the Michigan State line. Construction of a portion of this phase will begin in October 2021.