Witmer Trace Nature Trail

Dunlap is a cute little town near the major town of Elkhart, but if you and your pup need a place to retreat and enjoy the outdoors, explore the Witmer Trace Nature Trail. The rural path is made from boardwalks and packed dirt walkways that connect to each other and have a 4-foot wide width.

The odd terrain of the path makes it hard for cyclists, so the trail will remain pretty peaceful and quiet. The trail begins in Ox Bow Park, a large prairie park with side fields and forested areas. There are no amenities on the trail, but using the restroom or stocking up on water and clean-up bags that are available inside the park would be a good idea. Once entering the trail, you'll find a diverse landscape with streams, forests, and small open fields. 

Dogs aren't required to be on a leash, but it might be a good idea to keep them on it if you do not have verbal control over them and don't want them to get lost. This short trail is pretty even without any elevation, and connects to a small riverside park without a name, that provides an area for Fido to run around freely, use the restroom or enjoy fishing opportunities.

The park's entrance is marked inside Ox Bow Park, but other than that, there's no special advertisement for it, making the area pretty quiet with few travelers going out to enjoy the trail. Due to this, the trail remains peaceful during the day and will be sure to give you and Fido the quiet walk you both need while also providing plenty of exercise, lots of shade, and a gorgeous view of the natural area surrounding the path.