About
History | Amenities | State Park Features | Local Attractions | Driving DirectionsHistory
McCormick’s Creek State Park is Indiana’s oldest state park. It was dedicated on July 4, 1916, as part of the state Centennial Celebration. It has grown to 1,833 acres today from its original 350 acres.
The Miami Indians originally inhabited the area. The first settler to claim an acreage for homesteading was John McCormick. The land included nearly 100 acres along the canyon by the waterfalls. Since it was common to name physical locations by the owner’s name, McCormick’s Creek was now so named.
In 1888 Dr. Fredrick Denkewalter purchased part of the area to build a sanitarium for the wealthy to "get away from it all" and recuperate. The original sanitarium, built on the present-day Canyon Inn site, was a white-sided structure with long porches on every side. With the death of Dr. Denkewalter in 1914, the land was purchased by the State of Indiana in order to maintain the park-like setting.
The Canyon Inn opened its doors in the old sanitarium building in 1916. Over the years remodeling projects have changed the physical appearance of the Inn, which still stands on the original foundation, but it has not changed the surroundings and scenic appeal that first attracted Dr. Denkewalter.
Amenities
- Free Wireless Internet available throughout the Inn
- Complimentary Coffee
- Coffee Makers in all rooms
- Full Service Restaurant
- Satellite Television
- Hair dryers in all rooms
- Iron and ironing boards available on request
- Game Room
- Outdoor Swimming Pool
- Rollaway’s available for $10.00 per night
- Cribs available for $5.00 per night
- Refrigerators available for $7.50 per night
- Large lounge with fireplace and comfortable hickory and leather furniture. Also see our fossil display.
- Gift shop
State Park Features
- Saddle Barn open seasonally. Horse rides leave on the hour between the hours of 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily during the summer
- Nature Center open year round. An interpretive schedule is on hand as our naturalists lead hikes and orient you with nature all across the Park.
- Campground with 180 electric sites and 33 primitive sites.
- Ten Hiking Trails ranging from easy to rugged. Our shortest trail is .5 miles and our longest trail is 2.0 miles.
- Wolf Cave, off of trail 5 you can visit the natural forming cave. Be sure to bring your flashlight.
- Falls, off of trail 3 you can hike to the falls and listen to the water moving from our observation deck. If you prefer, you could get wet and walk up to the falls!
- Quarry, off of trail 2 and then to a connector trail, this is the Old State House Quarry. You can view the quarry from which the limestone was used in our old statehouse.
- Fire tower, off of trail 4 you can climb the fire tower and view the tree tops.
- Shelters available for rental.
- Tennis Courts
- Recreation Center open seasonally, with Basketball, Volleyball, and Racquetball courts, pool table, ping pong table, and video games.
- Need more information? Visit the McCormick’s Creek State Park page.
Local Attractions
Within 10-15 minutes of the Inn:
- Rolling Meadows 18-hole Golf Course, one of Indiana’s Premier courses.
- Pine Woods 9-hole Golf Course.
- Owen-Putnam State Forest, Bike Trail information in the State Forest
- Parker’s Archery, indoor shooting range located right outside the Park
- Spencer Bait and Tackle, located right across from the Park
- Putters Park miniature golf in Ellettsville
Within 15-30 minutes of the Inn:
- Cataract Falls, Indiana’s largest waterfall
- Lieber State Recreation Area
- Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, featuring NCAA sports, World Class shows at the Auditorium, and the Art Museum
- Wonderlab in Bloomington, The Museum of Science, Health and Technology
- Bloomington Farmer’s Market, open Saturday mornings early downtown at the Shower’s building.
Driving Directions
Bloomington, IN | Chicago, IL | Indianapolis, IN | Louisville, KY | Terre Haute, IN- Bloomington, IN:
Take 46 West to McCormick's Creek State Park Entrance and follow the signs inside the park to the inn. (13 miles, 18 minutes)
- Chicago, IL:
Take Interstate 65 South to Interstate 465 South to Interstate 70 West to 231 South (Cloverdale Exit) to 46 East to the McCormick's Creek State Park Entrance and follow the signs inside the park to the inn. (236 miles, 4 hours)
- Indianapolis, IN:
Take Interstate 70 West to 231 South (Cloverdale Exit) to 46 East to the McCormick's Creek State Park Entrance and follow the signs inside the park to the inn. (54 miles, 1 hour)
- Louisville, KY:
Take Interstate 65 North to 46 West to the McCormick's Creek State Park Entrance and follow the signs inside the park to the inn. (106 miles, 2 hours and 10 minutes)
- Terre Haute, IN:
Take Interstate 70 East to 231 South (Cloverdale Exit) to 46 East to the McCormick's Creek State Park Entrance and follow the signs inside the park to the inn. (47 miles, 1 hour)
Canyon Inn
451 McCormick Creek Park Road
P.O. Box 71
Spencer, Indiana 47460
812-829-4881
FAX: 812-829-1467
Reservations:
877-LODGES-1
877-563-4371
