Canyon Inn at McCormick’s Creek

More than 50 years ago my parents took me camping at McCormicks Creek every weekend we could get there. Years later, I took my husband and kids there. I have so many wonderful family memories in the park. My dad found a snake hidden under a tin sign, hundreds of daddy long legs hatched on our tent camper, our daughter fell in the falls, my husband got stuck in Wolf Cave, and scarey climbs on the firetower. I absolutely love McCormicks Creek. Good times, great memories. This year my husband and I stayed at the Inn over the holiday weekend when we were in town. We were very disappointed in our accommadations, however. The Inn was the first in the state and it seems like its barely been updated since. The room was the smallest we’ve ever stayed in – anywhere. We had to act like we were playing tetris to get dressed. Moves had to be planned in advance. It was ridiculous. The mattress on the bed sagged in the middle and the frame made horrible noises at every turn. The towels were like thin sheets of paper. The room smelled musty. You could hear conversations in the next room. We stayed two nights and it was a test. Very disappointing. As bad an experience as the rooms were, we very much enjoyed the restaurant. We were seated looking at the bird feeders and the woods. It was interesting to watch the birds and the view was so relaxing. They were offering a fried chicken buffet and the food was really good. Very reasonably priced. Our waitress, Beth, was top notch. She was so friendly and helpful. Our experience at the restaurant and being in the park was one of the shining stars of our trip home to Indiana.

If you have to absolutely stay in Spencer, then this is the only place to stay… Bloomington is only 20 minutes away, stay there instead. We switched rooms. The first room we had was on the first floor. Creepy, damp and dusty. Don’t get a room on the backside of the building. It’s very dark there. The room we switched to on the third floor was much better. Sunnier and slightly newer furniture. Overlooked the front of the building. Still dusty and there was a terrible dirty stain on the ceiling. Beds were comfy but we just couldn’t shake the feeling that we were at a creepy overnight camp. Bathrooms were adequate. Breakfast was average. Internet wifi was spotty and very weak. I realize this is a state park facility, but for the price, I expect something better maintained.

On this day I took my youngest to McCormicks Creek state park. There wasn’t the normal entrance fee but we could smell the fried chicken from the front gate. We made our way past the office to the Inn. Another product of the Depression Era construction this Inn has stood with the normal refurbishing. Wood and leather chairs and tables adorn this quaint interior. We sat by their fire place completing a puzzle some guest had started. In the corner was a lending library, a tradition started by travelers who would read a book and then leave it for someone else to read. We enjoyed their buffet. Old world style food includuling corn chowder. Today’s special was fried chicken. Sitting in the enclosed back patio. Watching the birds and squirrels run about while enjoying sweet tea. Reasonable price for the all you can eat buffet. Spent the next few hours walking the trails. Visited the water falls. Crawled in Wolf Cave. Stood under the Twin Bridges. The trails are well marked and have ratings for all hikers. Many trees were damaged by graffiti and some have fell during the last season but none blocked the paths. Benches were available in different locations. Many of which were dedicated to various people. Heavily limestone area which has its own allure. An extreme amount of oxygen readily available from the many trees. A very enjoyable time taken away from all the hussle and bussle of modern life. I really didn’t notice the free Wi-​Fi.

This park has so much to offer in all seasons, it should be ranked as best park in Indiana. They usually have stay and dine packages at the inn during winter months. My favorite is the wine tasting, dinner and overnight stay package around Valentine’s Day.
The hiking is good here for both creek stomping and scenic nature hiking. Wolf cave nature preserve has a nice longer trail that can keep you entertained for hours. You can easily hike all day here without retracing your steps by hiking down the gorge at the bottom and then returning on cliffs up above. I rode my first horse at this park and they still offer trail rides today.

This review is for the restaurant inside the Inn. We went for lunch. You have to drive into the park and follow the signs to the Inn. It wasn’t crowded we asked to sit on the enclosed porch overlooking the woods. They have a really good soup and salad bar for $ 7.99. The soup choices today were clam chowder and a southwest beef stew. I had the beef stew and it was very good. Anything you could ever want in a salad was on the bar. The menu also had lots of burgers, tenderloin, chicken strips, veggie wraps and salads. Also a flat iron steak. Because it’s in a state park there is no alcohol served. There’s not many choices in Spencer for food other than fast food. This is now my #1 restaurant in Spencer. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When you go thru the park entrance, just tell the attendant you are going to the inn.

Loved it here. The trails are beautiful and well marked. The saddle barn was my favorite. I love horses. They let me pet them even though we didn’t get a ride. I wanted to but kids ya know. I must admit I chickened out of going thru the wolf cave. I think I’m a little too wide ;-)

Great little State Park. There are well laid out trails. The swimming pool is really nice and a decent size. This is a park that is well maintained throughout. I would recommend this park to anyone that wants to have something to do outdoors for the day or weekend.

Another one of our fantastic state parks. A pretty quick and easy drive from Indy will bring you here. Follow the signs to the Inn and park right at the trailhead for trail 3. That will really take you everywhere you want to go in the park. The ravines and small waterfalls are quite beautiful. Plenty of things to see. Some of the main trails pretty much walk you right through the creek, so prepare to get wet feet, but it’s worth it.

This is a very nice park, with well defined trails for hiking. They have a fairly new nature center that is wonderful. The inn is cozy and homey, rooms are a bit small, but are clean and comfortable. The dining room looks out on to the woods, and you can watch the birds while you eat, very relaxing. Food is alright, no haute cuisine, but it is filling.

Ask for a room in the new area! Also, avoid the Inn’s restaurant, it’s no bueno.
Don’t stay here expecting comfort. The beds suck. There’s some strange smells. The inn is old.
DO STAY HERE if you want to hike all day, swim all night, and sleep within the park.

Very cute little state park. Great place to go with the family. If you are looking to do long, rugged hikes this is not the place for you. The longest hike is 2 miles (trail 5) and the «rugged» hike isn’t so rugged and under a mile. But trails ³⁄₁₀ have the most amazing walkthrough of the creek and limestone walls, simply beautiful and a can’t miss. I really do appreciate how clean and well marked everything is. Very easy to get around.

This is a fantastic State park! It takes about an hour to get there from Indy but its a nice country drive, and super easy (literally like two turns from I70). The river beds have huge fossils — so it’s interesting if you are a science nerd like me. There are some fairly rugged trails, and some nice long trails, so we love this park. A ton of space to get away from the city.

We love McCormick’s Creek. It’s a great hot weather campground, as they have a large pool (including diving boards.) The sites are also beautiful, well maintained, fully shaded and private, with a caveat: Try to camp in sites numbers below 202. Sites 203 and up are in another loop, and they are not private at all. We made the unfortunate decision one year to go camping on a major holiday weekend and we ended up booking a site after our favorites had all been booked. Big mistake, as we ended up in the «crowded» area with little to no shade or privacy.
We don’t camp in electric sites, so I can’t recommend any specifically, but as far as electric sites go in general, it seems, from a cursory walk around, McCormick’s Creek has some of the best available. Usually I’m turned off by the «parking lot» atmosphere of some of the other local parks’ electric sites, but at McCormick’s Creek, there is a decent amount of shade and privacy for each RV to be at a comfortable distance from their neighbor.
McCormick’s Creek also has some of the best trails I’ve hiked in Central/​Southern Indiana. They have something for everyone, whether you’re experienced and want a little bit of a challenge (trail 10) or want a longer, moderate hike (trail 5 and trail 7.) I haven’t done the easy hikes, but if they are of the same quality as the moderate trails, expect great views and well maintained trail paths. I saw some litter, but not as much as some of the other parks I’ve been to (which is both a testament to the visitors and to the DNR staff.) They also have lookout shelters. We were able to sit and have a nice picnic on the bench and enjoy the view without worrying about the weather, which had been rainy off and on.
We purchased our firewood for $ 5 a bundle at the camp store, which is open until 9 pm on the weekends. The price is pretty standard across the state parks. They also sell ice, and concessions, if you’re at the pool and would like to have lunch without leaving. The pool admission is $ 2 a person.
Proximity to Indianapolis is good. It’s about an hour and 20 minutes away. It’s not a straight shot, and you do have to go through some small towns, but it’s not a complicated trip and it would be difficult to get lost. Outside of the camp ground, there are convenience stores and gas stations near by, about a ten minute trip.
We are frequent visitors to McCormick’s Creek, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for great primitive camping, hiking, and swimming. Just avoid primitive sites 203 and above if privacy is a priority for you, as it is for us.

Wonderful state park! There are many activies ranging from camping to hiking to kayaking to tubing, to riding horses. I highly recommend this state park to everyone! The trails are great ans well marked. The camping price is very reasonable. Great for couples for families wanting to get away for the weekend.

I love going to McCormick’s Creek. It’s a beautiful park set in Spencer IN and has the creek running through which provides some great hiking. or swimming. My husband and I bring our black lab here to give him some outdoor fun time. Personally he would give this place 6 stars if he could because he LOVES the creek and enjoys romping around and running up and down the hills.
I personally like going because it is not as crowded as Turkey Run and if you are one of those people who enjoy peaceful beauty, this is it. I come all times of the year-​dogs don’t have winter coats and it doesn’t stop him from needing exercise!!-but I love the late fall and early spring here. It is just absolutely gorgeous.
The staff at the inn and the park rangers are very kind and courteous which I appreciate. It’s the first state park and it definitely has character of its own!

The rooms are a mixture of old and new. This was Indiana’s first state park. The Inn was originally a sanitarium of sorts. Some of the rooms are good sized and resemble a average motel room. Some rooms are really small and you have to wonder what their original use was. Ask questions about the room before booking. See if they will guarantee you a room in the newer part on the first or second floor.
The pool is an outdoor one and is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. They have a recreation building and two out door handball courts. The restaurant has a buffet for all meals. The Inn has a large common room with inviting chairs and couches. One of the things I liked best though, the wood burning fireplace, has been converted to gas. It was always hard to get a fire lit there, as the chimney did not seem to want to draw. So, I guess the gas fireplace was a must.
If you possibly can, book a room just before a snow storm. Then fritter away the time for the next few days while watching the birds, deer and other critters. We did that once. it was decadent.

This is an absolutely beautiful park. The primitive camp sites are well-​separated and well-​maintained. The ground is a little tough for pitching a non-​freestanding tent, so be sure to bring a hammer or something sufficiently blunt and heavy.
The trails provide for relaxing day hikes, though with the caves closed, there isn’t quite as much to see these days.
If you have a bike, the roads through the park are fun to ride.

The state parks offer 2 for 1 nights in the winter and our bill for two nights came to $ 127.33. We took a double queen room that was lovely. There were a pull out couch, half a dozen pretty lamps, a microwave, coffee maker and refrigerator. It was newly redone. There was only one window facing the woods. The room was a pleasant surprise.
The restaurant is okay and like other state parks, nothing special. The only thing that drags us out of the parks for dinner is that they don’t serve alcohol.
Speaking of dinner, it is not easy to combine food and libations in Spencer. We loved Skid Row but they don’t serve food on Monday. We ended up at El Ranchero (see seperate review) for a nice experience.
The staff was nice if not always knowledgeable. No one seemed to know much about the surronding area but they were so friendly.
There is a very efficient elevator that took us to our 3^rd floor room.
The Canyon Inn is our favorite of the few state park lodges we have seen so far.

I’ve been taking family trips here for 30 years. First with my parents, now with my kids.
The park is always clean and there is plenty to do. Check the website for details on all of the activities as they are too numerous to cover here.
Stables
Pool
Cabins
Trails
Canyons
On this last trip we hiked to the falls, had a picnic at the playground and then took a hayride through the park. We also visited the new nature center which was a treat for the adults and the kids. The kids really enjoyed the turtle presentation.
We have tent camped here and stayed in the cabins, I recommend both activities.
I have nothing bad to say about the park and I could go on and on about the good things.
At the very least, give it a try for the afternoon. How can you say no to a $ 5 entry fee?

What a gorgeous place to be stuck in, in Indiana.
They have very clean trails and very pretty scenery, including access to a nice waterfall and great hiking. They also have great facilities, including a giant pool and decent campsites.
Definitely a great place to get back to nature and enjoy the great outdoors.