Marquette Greenway Trail breaks ground (April 3, 2024)
New Buffalo residents and visitors will have a new route to and from Chicago – the Marquette Greenway Trail. This ambitious project which has been 10 years in then making is being funded through state and federal grants and $400K in private donations. The 60-mile hiking and biking trail that will soon connect downtown New Buffalo to east Chicago at Calumet Park passes through the Indiana Dunes National Park.
Lions Pavilion Park
This pavilion is the home of the New Buffalo Lions Club. It is located just across the street from the public beach and is considered part of the Beach Park complex. There is a pavilion, several picnic tables, grills, playground and benches. The pavilion is often used as an entertainment venue (see our events calendar).
Dog Park
The Sari Asher Memorial Park, located at 1420 East Washington St., is a designated area for dogs to run and play. Open daily, dusk to dawn to local residents and visitors. An Annual or Daily Permit (available inside park) is required for each dog present. Onsite parking is available.
Park Restrictions
- All dogs must be under the owner’s control (at all times).
- Aggressive dogs or dogs in heat are not allowed in this park.
- Dogs must be licensed and have up-to-date rabies vaccinations.
- Cleaning up after your dogs is required (seal the waste in a bag before disposing of it in a dog waste container).
- Pets must be leashed prior to leaving the fenced area.
Galien River Wetlands and River Park
Newly opened in the Spring of 2014, Phase I of the Park features a ground-level walkway that winds 600 feet through the marsh leading to the edge of the Galien River and a 300-foot sky-walk 60 feet high with panoramic views of the river, woods, and the rare Great Lakes marsh preserved below.
The Park which will be phased in over several years is designed for passive recreation such as bird watching, fishing or quiet contemplation. It is the first county park in the southern part of Berrien County. When completed, amenities include a fishing and viewing platform, benches, canoe, and kayak tie-up area, and platforms large enough to hold a class. The walkways and many trails are handicapped accessible and a switchback will accommodate bus and van drop-offs.
Admission is free and the park entrance is on Red Arrow Highway across from the New Buffalo Township Hall.
New Buffalo Township: Memorial Park
Located on Red Arrow Highway just north of U.S. 12, the Township park has a pavilion with picnic benches, grills, a playground, and washrooms. The pavilion is available for rent. For more information call (269) 469-1011. This park is pet, smoke, and alcohol free.
New Buffalo Township: Glassman Park
Glassman Park consists of 47 acres of property that stretch along the side of the Galien River. The park features a kayak launch, walking trail, zen labyrinth, and river look out points. The Glassman Park entrance is found at the end of Glassman Rd on the Northwest side of the road. Glassman Park will be closed in the winter during inclement weather. This park is pet, smoke, and alcohol free.
Oselka Park
Located at 601 E. Indiana St., just north of the New Buffalo High/Middle School campus, the park contains a pavilion/restroom building, a sledding hill, two baseball fields, one softball field, one softball flex-use field adjoining the soccer field, and an ice-skating rink.
Ice Skating Rink & Sledding
Winter activities are available at Oselka Park. Ice skating is available on a small natural rink (approximately 60′ x 100′) when freezing conditions permit. Hours are from sunrise until 10 p.m. daily. Bring your own skates or borrow skates out of a bin of donated skates. There’s also a sledding hill nearby. Public restrooms are not available during the winter months.
Nature Preserve
The Sima Preserve is located along the Galien River in New Buffalo, adjacent to an 86-acre Galien River County Park Preserve purchased by Berrien County in 2001. This is the only remaining Great Lakes marsh of its size in southern Michigan and a sanctuary for native and migratory birds and a diverse population of native plants and animals.
The best access is via low-impact boating (canoe or kayak) which can be launched at the Galien River Access located on Red Arrow Hwy., just north of Kruger Road at the bridge in New Buffalo Township. This state-run access area can also be used to launch small fishing boats.
Lake Michigan Water Trail
This Nationally recognized trail for paddlers (kayaks and canoes) links communities to recreational opportunities on public lands and in local parks. Seventy-five miles long, the trail follows the route used by Native Americans and early explorers for trapping, fishing, and commerce, running along the Lake Michigan shoreline from Chicago’s lakefront in Illinois to New Buffalo, Michigan.
This is one of 41 trails in 17 different states, totaling more than 13,000 miles, that is recognized by the designation of National Recreation Trail and one of only 30 trails that is water-based. Lake Michigan Water Trail is also the first leg of a proposed 1,600-mile trail around the entire shoreline of Lake Michigan.
The availability of public access launch areas every eight (8) miles along the route makes this trail readily accessible to paddlers of all ages and skill levels.
Pickleball Courts
A six-court complex located across Clay Street from the New Buffalo Area Schools football field/track facility. (1112 E Clay St). Cited as one of the
best facilities in the State of Michigan, it is open to the public on a first-come-first-serve basis. Open daily beginning at 7:30 am.
Skate Park
The New Buffalo Skate Park is located at 1011 E. Clay St. – which is just across the street from New Buffalo High/ Middle School. It is a joint venture between the City of New Buffalo, New Buffalo Township, and New Buffalo Area Schools. Open dawn to dusk, 7 days/week.
