SPENCER – After sustaining substantial damage from a tornado on Friday, March 31, Spencer’s McCormick’s Creek State Park campground will be closed until October 1, as crews continue the clean-up efforts.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources director and Bedford resident Dan Bortner aided fellow DNR officials in efforts to inspect the damage done to the site.
“Last week, I joined our team on-site to assess the damage at the campground,” he said. “Our Team did an amazing job of cutting roads open to get access to the area so we could evaluate the next steps.”
Bornter explained that the decision to temporarily closed was made with the safety of cleanup crews and guests in mind.
“The tornado’s path through McCormick’s Creek State Park directly hit the campground, causing severe damage. For the safety of those who will be doing the cleanup and our guests, the campground will be closed until at least October 1, and no new reservations will be accepted for 2023,” Bortner said.
According to the DNR’s website, individuals with campground reservations already booked are being contacted directly and given full refunds.
Some trails are currently open to the public, while others are closed off. The full list is as follows:
- Trail 1 (McCormick’s Cove Nature Preserve): Trail 1 is open.
- Trail 2 (Statehouse Quarry): Trail 2 received significant damage and is currently closed. Please do not go past the closure signs.
- Trail 3 (McCormick’s Creek Waterfall): Trail 3 is accessible to view the waterfall, but the wooden trail structure is damaged. Please do not go past the closure signs.
- Trail 4 (Fire Tower): Trail 4 to the fire tower is open. The fire tower, not damaged in the storm, is open.
- Trail 5 (Wolf Cave Nature Preserve): Trail 5 received significant damage and is currently closed. Please do not go past the closure signs.
- Trail 6 in the campground is closed.
- Trails 7 and 10 (Canyon Rim, Creek, and McCormick’s Cove Nature Preserve): These trails received significant damage to trail structures. Please do not go past the closure signs.
- Trail 8 (Accessible Trail): A portion of this trail from the pool/nature center area is open, but it is closed beyond Pine Bluff Shelter where it leads to the campground and to Trail 5 and Wolf Cave.
- Trail 9 (Deer Run/Peden Farmstead): Trail 9 is open.
Bortner said that soon individuals who wish to volunteer to assist with cleanup efforts will have the opportunity to do so. The volunteer form can be accessed here.
