Spring Mill State Park and Inn in Mitchell Indiana

Stay at Spring Mill Inn, Visit the Pioneer Village, Explore Caves

Apr 7, 2009

Spend a day, spend a night, at Spring Mill State Park in Indiana. The park is beautiful, the inn is quaint and historic, families will find lots to entertain everyone.

Spring Mill State Park is on 1,358 acres in southern Indiana in the town of Mitchell on Highway 60E. Bring or rent a bike for use on the mountain bike trail or the paved road through the park. Boating and fishing are encouraged with appropriate permits. Plentiful trails offer a variety of hiking opportunities. At times naturalist-led hikes, cave tours, and educational programs are available. Swimming in an Olympic-sized pool is an option during summer. The pioneer village is open year-round, though in the summer interpreters staff the village and the grist mill is in operation. Donaldson Cave can be entered year round, and is home to an endangered species - the Northern Blind Cave Fish (discovered in 1896 by Dr. Carl H. Eigenmann).

Overnight Options – Spring Mill Inn or Campground

Spring Mill Inn was constructed between 1937 - 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps from native Indiana limestone. When it opened, the cost per day for a room plus three meals was $7.50. While not nearly that much of a bargain today, room rates are reasonable, and the Millstone Dining Room is open year round and serves three meals a day. The Inn has a heated indoor/outdoor pool, a game room (ping pong, board games, etc.), a gift shop, and great rooms with fireplaces and rocking chairs to spend chilly evenings. For those who would rather "rough it", a campground is available with flush toilets and hot showers, and reservations can be made.

Spring Mill State Park History

After fighting the War of 1812, Samuel Jackson Jr. came to the area with his family and built a home and small wooden mill. When Indiana became a state in 1816, Jackson became owner of the valley. Two wealthy land developers, the Bullitt brothers, purchased the land from Jackson in 1817 and constructed a three-story limestone mill. As more people began to settle southern Indiana, business at the mill began to boom. The next owners, the Montgomery brothers, added a sawmill, distillery, tavern and post office. The Hamer brothers owned the land next, remodeling the two existing homes, starting a school, and naming the village "Spring Mill". It was under the Hamer brothers that Spring Mill reached its peak, with village goods being sold in Louisville and New Orleans. Business declined in the following years with the arrival of the railroad and the Civil War. There were twenty families living in Spring Mill in the 1850s. In 1896 a cement company purchased the land, and the village was deserted.

In 1865 George Donaldson had purchased some land adjacent to the village. He was Scottish, and truly revered nature, prohibiting timber extraction and logging on his land (which is why the park is now home to native trees over 300 years old). After his death, with no heirs to his land, Indiana University was deeded the property, who then gave it to the Indiana State Department of Conservation. The DOC later purchased surrounding land, including the deserted village, reconstructing it and forming Spring Mill State Park. A walking tour through the Pioneer Village provides a glimpse into what life in the late 1800s may have been like.

The copyright of the article Spring Mill State Park and Inn in Mitchell Indiana in Indiana Travel is owned by Sara Wittenberg. Permission to republish Spring Mill State Park and Inn in Mitchell Indiana in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Jun 20, 2009 11:49 AM

Guest :

I visited this park years ago while growing up in Indiana. The mill was my favorite part - we bought a bag of flour they milled there.