County 73: Owen

In 1916 during the state’s centennial celebration the state park system was created with McCormick’s Creek named Indiana’s first state park. At the time not very many states had a park system, making Indiana a model for the rest of the country. Now nearly 100 years later, Indiana still has some of the best state parks in the U.S.  I had the opportunity last week to meet with state park employees at McCormick’s Creek in Spencer.



Lt. Governor Skillman talks with DNR employees
during a Hoosier Crossroads Tour stop at McCormick's Creek



Every year nearly 16 million people visit our state parks and reservoirs. More than 500,000 of those people visit McCormick’s Creek, and I expect that number to increase this year considering the number of warm sunny days we have had.  At McCormick’s Creek, I toured several new updates that have been made to the park in recent years.

The amphitheatre has been restored, which provides space for many events including concerts and weddings. The remodeled dining hall serves campers, like the Boy Scouts. McCormick’s Creek is also home to the Canyon Inn, providing non-campers a place to stay at the park. It also has a restaurant serving many popular Indiana dishes.  These upgrades and facilities make our parks more attractive to visitors, ensuring repeat visits in the future.

McCormick’s Creek consistently brings in more money than they spend making them our most efficiently run state park. This is in part due to the dedicated staff. Even with a tight budget, they still provide an outstanding product for our visitors. I was pleased to have the time to thank them personally for their service to our state.

As the co-chair for Indiana’s bicentennial celebration, I hope to leave a lasting legacy for our state just like those who created our state parks during the centennial celebration.  To read more about the work of the bicentennial commission, visit my blog post from Harrison County where I share news about a land trust that will preserve even more areas in Indiana.