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Best Lake Hikes in Indiana

The directory currently contains 8 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Indiana. Their average mapped distance is 16.4 km and average recorded ascent is 181 m (594 ft); the longest route in the set is 93.7 km.

This subset represents 4% of the 204 quality-checked routes in Indiana. Its average distance is 16.4 km, compared with 11.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 181 m (594 ft), versus 97 m (318 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set carries a lake tag in the directory. Whether the mapped line reaches the shore and whether swimming is allowed must be checked locally. Within this set, 4 routes (50%) are rated easy, 2 (25%) are rated hard or expert, and 3 (38%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.7 km

Knob Lake Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

8 m

Knob Lake Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
29 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Lake
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
9 min
  • Lake
Hard

Indiana · United States

Distance
15.6 km
/ 9.7 mi
Elevation gain
364 m
Typical duration
3 hr 48 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
123 m
Typical duration
40 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Indiana · United States

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
141 m
Typical duration
1 hr 44 min
  • Lake
Easy

Indiana · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
9 min
  • Lake

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 2Indiana93.7 km747 m23 hrExpertApril to October
DLT h - N. Lake to Midwest RdIndiana8.8 km34 m1 hr 54 minModerateApril to October
Ogle Lake TrailIndiana1.9 km29 m27 minEasyApril to October
Knob Lake TrailIndiana0.7 km8 m9 minEasyApril to October
Three Lakes TrailIndiana15.6 km364 m3 hr 48 minHardApril to October
Strahl Lake TrailIndiana2.3 km123 m40 minEasyApril to October
Yellowwood Lake TrailIndiana7.3 km141 m1 hr 44 minModerateApril to October
Maze TrailsIndiana0.7 km0 m9 minEasyApril to October

ADT - Indiana (South) - H - Seg 2, DLT h - N. Lake to Midwest Rd, Ogle Lake Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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