Hey again Midwest friends!
Here's a companion piece to my last post about the Low Gap Trail, since this next one is pretty close by. Today we're going to explore some trails at McCormick's Creek State Park. This was the first state park created in Indiana, and I think if you only had one day down in this area, I'd recommend these trails over Low Gap since there's so much variety.
Edited to update: Just after I wrote this post, McCormick's Creek State Park was hit with a tornado 😔 Make sure to call the office to verify what's open and find out trail conditions. Crews have been working hard to clear downed trees, but the campground areas sustained the most damage so they will be closed until October 1st this year.
Volunteer opportunities are available to help the park with cleanup if you'd like to help!
This state park would be an awesome place for families, since there's lots of options for doing short hikes with a waterfall, creeks, a cave, and a fire tower to explore. A multi-day camp out would be perfect at or near this park if you want to take your time and see it all.
Location: Near Bloomington, IN
Length: 4.9 for the Falls Canyon loop, but there is a nice system of trails, and just to get to the waterfall from the parking area is less than half a mile.
Camping available: Yes
Dispersed Camping Allowed? No - at this state park you'll need to book a campsite, or go down the road to Fish Creek Campground if the spots are all full.
This uses a combination of different trails to sort of make a "highlight loop"including the Falls and Wolf Cave. Starts from the Canyon Inn.
There are some really nice trails to explore at McCormick's Creek! Of course, for a lot of folks, the highlight will probably be the falls. For this reason, I'd recommend going in the summer so you can get your feet wet and enjoy splashing in the water a bit. The falls is short enough that you can even climb to the top pretty easily.
Another highlight on this loop is Wolf Cave. Again, you could do this as a separate hike if you'd like! The walk to Wolf Cave (trail 5) is a shorter 2 mile loop from the parking area.
By the time we made it back from Wolf Cave, and with our long hike at Low Gap the day before, we decided to skip the Fire Tower hike - but if you still have energy, or extra days to stay at the campground, you might like trail 4 to the fire tower!
Length: 1.5 miles if you take the whole trail 4 loop
With so many fun things to explore at this park, McCormick's Creek is a great adventure! Pack a day full or spend a few days for a more relaxed experience.
Anyone have any other favorite midwest state parks?
Let me know down below in the comments!
Happy hiking,
Calzone
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