Location: 427 Furness Road, Michigan City, IN. 46360
Hours: Dawn to Dusk
Trail Length: Easy - Trails 1 through 6 are all .5 miles or less; Trail 7 is .84 miles.
Entrance Cost: Free
Parking: Only three spaces in the park, but there is a gravel parking lot to the west of the entrance.
Dog Friendly: Yes, on a leash.
Restrooms: Porta Potty
Part of the Porter County Parks system, the gardens and trails were developed by previous owners Bill Brincka and Basil Cross whose love for gardening set the groundwork for the park we enjoy today. Surrounding the park are seven short, easy trails that meander through the gardens, into the woods, over wooden bridges and past an old potting shed.
Trails 1 and 7 begin in the Spring Garden where daffodils, snow drops and magnolia put on a show in April and May. Both trails border the perimeter of Daffodil Hill where 450 different types of daffodils are planted throughout the woods as far as the eye can see.
Trail 1, which is .39 miles, finishes its circle around Daffodil Hill and then leads through all the other gardens with the Frank Lloyd Wright style house at its center. Trail 7, the longest trail in the park at just under a mile, heads north into the woods easily curving to the farthest reaches of the property and connecting to woodland Trails 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 along the way. Trail 7 finishes its loop along the border of the summertime show-stopping Hosta Garden boasting 400 varieties.
Although the garden and its woodland trails are a springtime wonder, it shows off in any season and is a favorite for photographers. The accessible parking lot to the west of the entrance connects to the park by a short, tree-lined path.
All the trails are flat, well-marked and easy to hike for all ages. When your hike comes to an end, you can relax on one of the many benches and simply watch the garden grow.
