Welcome to Stoney Run County Park

Exit Interstate 65 east at Route 231 Hebron/Crown Point exit. Travel east toward Hebron for about 4.5 miles to Leroy and turn left at 145th Avenue. The Korean Memorial is on your left.  Continue past it on 145th for 2.5 miles to the park.

 

hiking trails barbeque facilities barrier free toilet camping (groups by reservation only, primitive facilities) cross country ski rental.  Click button for info cross country trails fishing (not currently stocked nor fees charged) fitness trails hayrides (tractor driven in the fall) hiking trails horseback riding on perimeter trail (no rentals)

jogging open play fields parking fee (when gatekeeper on duty) picnic shelters picnic tables creative playground recreational equipment rental toilets (pit & flush) Vietnam Veterans Memorial volleyball standards

WELCOME TO STONEY RUN COUNTY PARK

Dedicated in 1973, Stoney Run is nestled in the rural setting of southeast Lake County.  The 316 acres of tranquil woodlands, ponds, and open meadows lend themselves to a peaceful experience.  The eight miles of hiking trails let visitors get away from it all and enjoy nature at its finest, observing first hand the interrelationship between flora and fauna in the heavily wooded oak hickory forest.  Stoney Run’s primarily level terrain is complemented by a ravine running through the eastern half of the park and rolling hills on the western side, providing for a great variety of wildflowers.  The park is open 7 a.m. to sunset year round.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial – Special services on Memorial Day at 2:30 p.m. and the Saturday prior to Veterans Day at 10:30 p.m. presented by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee. Click here for service information Veteran's Recognition Services at Stoney Run

Trails – Self-guided hiking trail past red and black oaks, shagbark and pignut hickory. Found growing in the sunlight along the forest edge are spice bush, elderberry, grape and sumac. Spring wildflowers are abundant and deer, squirrel, rabbit and a variety of birds are often seen while hiking the interior and perimeter trails. Approximately 8 miles of trails meander through the park.

Perimeter Trail – Riders, providing their own horses, will enjoy the remote areas of the park. Riders must stay on the perimeter trail and keep horses out of the picnic area and all turf areas.

Cross Country Ski Trails – The hiking trails and perimeter trail are groomed during the winter months for cross county skiing. Rentals are available when weather conditions permit. Cross country ski rental.  Click button for info

Features – Great creative playgrounds, picnic shelters, barbeque grills, barrier free toilets, fishing lake, volleyball standards, hiking trails, open play fields, and recreational equipment.

Camping – Primitive camping for not-for-profit groups only by reservation

VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL AT STONEY RUN COUNTY PARK

Visitors to Stoney Run County Park see the flags of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as they drive into the park.  This salute to veterans had its beginnings in 1973 when three large boulders were put in place by Marine Company A, 6^th Engineer Battalion of Gary in Stoney Run County Park.  The memorial began as one family’s effort to honor the memory of their son and others like him.  David M. Baum was one of the 261 young people from Lake County and one of more than 58,000 from across the United States who gave their lives for our country while serving in Vietnam.  David’s death brought cards and letters of sympathy to his parents and brother, John, also a veteran during the Vietnam conflict.  Sometime later, distraught over the treatment afforded most of the returning Vietnam Veterans, Mr. And Mrs. Henry Baum of Crown Point established the David M. Baum Memorial Fund.  Community support provided additional funds, materials, and labor leading to the dedication of the memorial. 

For a long time, however, plans to complete the memorial went unfulfilled.  The Vietnam War continued to be a painful, controversial issue, and support for a tribute to its veterans waned.  Then early in 1982 several Vietnam Veterans, along with Lake County Park and Recreation Department staff members, coordinated efforts with the Vietnam Veterans Leadership program of Indiana to sponsor a Memorial Day service and family picnic at the park.

Shortly after that initial joint effort, the VVLP of Indiana welcomed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee as part of its organization.  Again, donations of funds, materials, and labor made Phase I of the memorial beautification possible.  Countless hours of donated services from individuals and groups went into the memorial development.

By Memorial Day 1984, 8,000 face bricks and 80 yards of concrete had been laid, forming a low wall topped with 460 feet of limestone and encircling the memorial.  Hundreds of Vietnam Veterans stood in the rain at a very moving dedication service.  It was a new beginning.  Phase II added a new face to the memorial’s south side with the construction of two wing walls.  The other walls were raised and 14,000 paving bricks were laid in place.  New landscaping was planted and the memorial was again ready for the 1986 Memorial Day service

Early in 1989 it was decided that the memorial would not be complete without the permanent inclusion of the 261 names of the Lake County servicemen who sacrificed their lives during the Vietnam War so that project was begun.  On August 28, 1989, the Lake County Commissioners signed a proclamation declaring the memorial at Stoney Run County Park the official Lake County Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

Phase III was the addition of the names in granite and the replacement of the single flagpole with three new flagpoles.  This phase took two years to complete with the official dedication taking place on May 4, 1991.  As noted at the memorial, the black granite plaques listing the names of those who died during the conflict, not only quantifies, but personalizes, Lake County’s sacrifice for the Price of Freedom.

As 1999 approached, the memorial walkways and walls were in need of repair and the committee thought it was time to show unity and appreciation for all veterans.  A grant was secured through the Lake County Parks from the state of Indiana to redesign the walkways.  Construction began again and on Veterans Day, 1999, the VVMC fulfilled another goal as they dedicated a second monument

DEDICATED TO ALL WHO HAVE SERVED – THANK YOU VETERANS.

The VVMC salutes the many municipalities, organizations, veterans, businesses, labor organizations, and individuals who have contributed toward the expansion and beautification of the memorial over the years.  Your overwhelming response has helped broaden the foundation of a fitting tribute to 261 young men from Lake County, who along with 58,000 nation-wide, gave their lives for our country, and for those of us who remain. The efforts of all who have dedicated their time and energy will continue until the memorial is complete.  All proceeds go to the programming and completion of the monument.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee invites everyone to visit the memorial throughout the year but especially extends an invitation for on Memorial Day and on the Saturday prior to Veterans Day. 

Stoney Run County Park is located between Crown Point and Hebron, just north of route 231.  From I-65 take route 231 for about 4.5 miles to 145^th Avenue then left, past the Korean War Memorial, to the park.  

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FOR SHELTER RESERVATIONS CALL

Phone: 219-769-PARK

Lake County Parks and Recreation Department Corporate Offices
8411 East Lincoln Highway, Crown Point, Indiana 46307

Just west of Deep River Waterpark   4.5 miles east of I-65 on Route 30