Pinhook Park 2801 Riverside Drive, South Bend, IN 46616

"Beautiful walking trails. River is Gorgeous. Me and my dog's lived it."

"The Pinhook lake was once the course of the St.Joseph River until it was diverted in the 1920s so Riverside Dr could connect with Cleaveland Rd without building a bridge. The apex of the lake bend is a site of great historical significance, yet few know of it or why. It is the eastern landing of a portage between the St. Joseph River and the Kankakee River to the west, and thus across the continental divide. It had been used by Native Americans for thousands of years for transporting people and goods between the North Eastern continent and the West. One could paddle a canoe from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of Mexico, and the only time they needed to portage the canoe was at this park, only a couple miles. It is this portage that the Potawatomi Indians controlled that in part made this tribe so powerful and influential. It is also the very spot where the first white man set foot in Northern Indiana. (And most all the Indiana region other than a few shore landings on the Northern banks of the Ohio River) This man was the french trader LaSalle, who married into the Potawatomi and helped found South Bend. The road just to the west up the bank is named after this famous portage... Portage Rd. The park has plenty of parking. Probably too much parking in my opinion. It also has a sandy swimming area, where I first learned how to swim as a toddler. ( And almost drowned in too, not recommended for toddlers for their first swimming lessons) Just outside of the swim area, the seaweed is dense and so not safe for swimming by inexperienced swimmers. Fishing is popular at this park. There is a newish boat dock that features a handicapped kayak and canoe loading platform so even wheelchair-bound people can use the lake."

"This is just a lovely park. The playground has good shade, which is uncommon in this area. There is a community center building and the bathrooms are open. They are clean and in good shape. The lake around the park is gorgeous. It has a paved walking trail that goes all through the park (and it is a big park). I walked around for a while with my kids double stroller yesterday. A lot of people fish here. There are two docs that go into the lake. The children’s garden in the middle is to memorialize children who have died young. it is very sweet."

"Clean restrooms, beautiful grounds and a variety of trees make this a wonderful place to stay for the day. Geese rove the grounds and for those interested, several Pokestops and PokeGyms."

"A large park that feels kinda secluded right on the river with a boat launch and kayak/canoe launcher. Nice paved trails, lots of trees for shade. The park is large enough that the kids play park, boat launch etc is spaced apart. It's well maintained and conveniently located. It's quiet, peaceful and calm."