This map shows the portion of the river that has been reopened to paddling.

East Branch of the Little Calumet River

The river’s flow is gentle enough that you can launch in one spot and paddle either direction. Here is a basic map to locate it.

• Water trail begins

This is at Brummit Road in Chesterton. Low water means you can bottom out and need to walk past the Indiana 49 bridge. From Interstate 94, go south on Indiana 49, left on Indian Boundary Road and right on Brummit.

• Midway

We put in at the southeast corner of the Calumet Road bridge in Chesterton. From Interstate 94, go south on Indiana 49, right on Indian Boundary Road and right on Calumet. The bridge is just past St. Patrick church and school. Unload your boat from the road with your hazard lights on; you’ll have to hike a path down to the river that’s hacked through tall plants (watch for small stumps). To park, drive across the bridge, turn left on Taylor Street and find a gravel lot.

• Ending

This is at Howe Road in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. From Indiana 49, go west on U.S. 20, turn right on Oak Hill Road, then left on Howe.

Super Saturday

• Free parks

All Indiana state parks will offer free admission Saturday for National Public Lands Day.

• Grand Mere

The Harbor Country Hikers will explore Grand Mere State Park in Stevensville on Saturday with a guided hike and history lesson at 10 a.m., with options of an easy 1-mile trip or an extra half-mile of dune terrain. The park is just off exit 22 of Interstate 94.

• Creekness Stakes

Watch paddlers race in large voyageur canoes from Wilderness Inquiry with 10 people each, then hop in and give it a try Saturday on Trail Creek in Michigan City. Races will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT, followed by half-hour public paddles from 1 to 3 p.m. CDT. It will be across from Hansen Park. From U.S. 20 (Michigan Boulevard), turn east on Eighth Street, then left on E Street.