We absolutely love having dinner or lunch at the lodge at McCormicks creek. The fireplace room near the lobby is so nice to hang out in and read a book. Great for going on a hike and then hanging out in the lodge for a while. Perfect place to spend a snowy day. read more

Canyon Inn at McCormick's - Sweet potato soup. Apple biscuits. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

Had a great lunch; food ok but the view of the flora and fauna in early spring and the service spectacular.

Comfortable room, decent tv, good shower. Food and service in the restaurant was good. It's an older building but very comfortable lounge area with a fireplace. I'll be back. read more

See all

This inn is part of the original state park. masks are required in the building. staff was great. the food was above average. We came with the state park access park. the inn itself was originally a sanitorium. This is a beautiful park and inn with all sorts of amenities. read more

See all

We sure were hoping for a fun getaway weekend ... but it really wasn't even up to A state park stay.... read more

Canyon Inn is perfect for nature lovers that appreciate sleeping on beds and controlling the temperature of their rooms. We stayed two nights in a standard queen size room. The rooms themselves were very clean, but dated. Think lots of beige, lots of wood- very 80's. Our mattress could be mistaken for a second box spring, but that didn't bother us much. The price is very reasonable and booking online is convenient. Ultimately, it was a perfect way for us to enjoy McCormicks Creek and refuel. Covid precautions: Guests are required to wear masks at all times while outside of their rooms in the inn. Receptionists wore masks and sanitize key cards. Social distancing signs are posted in various areas for reminders. Water fountains are not operational at this time. Meals can be delivered to rooms, but the dining room is open. read more

See all

Delicious food, good amenities, friendly and helpful staff. The rooms are TINY and the building is old, so be prepared for that.

I have stayed here many times as it is a short drive from Bloomington without the Btown hotel prices. The Inn is cozy and warm if you are coming for the lodging. Most rooms are nice and have a country feel. Make no mistake, this is not a resort and if that is what you are looking for you will be disappointed. This is a state park lodge. That being said, the crowd and the feel can vary but the common areas are a great place to socialize and relax. Personally, I love the fireplace and a puzzle in the cooler months. My personal preference is not to eat at the Inn. I agree with other posts that the food is somewhat bland. Breakfast is best if choosing to eat a meal here. However, if you don't eat here you have at minimum a 15 minute drive to local fast food places either direction. If you are willing to make a longer commute, you cannot beat the several ethnic option on 4th Street in Bloomington or in that area. (Bloomington itself is a food destination!) Also be aware that you will be charged a park entrance fee when staying at the Inn. Make sure to take advantage of all the park amenities you get for the fee including fantastic hiking trails, a nature center, nice pool and a cave! read more

See all

If you are a vegetarian, my advice is to get a bag of lettuce and some dressing at the grocery, and find a nice picnic table in the park for your lunch. Monday for lunch they had a mediocre cold salad bar. The tomato/basil soup sounded hopeful, but it's made with chicken broth. There's bacon in the broccoli salad. The potato salad and the cottage cheese were fine. $16 for two seniors. The waitress said they only have the hot buffet on weekends; I doubt there would be any vegetarian entrees offered (but I won't go back to find out). There was a vegetarian "broccoli flatbread" on the menu - the only vegetarian offering. I know most people probably won't care about whether or not a place caters to vegetarians. For those who do, I love you, man. Peace out. read more

Canyon Inn at McCormick's - Menu page two - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

See all

We had a large group come here for lunch on Saturday. We wanted to sit near the nature viewing area but that room had been reserved for a large birthday party (Marie was turning 98!). We instead sat right next to the buffet. This was ideal as the people I was with were all overweight and are barely ambulatory. I was excited about the prospect of a raved-about buffet, but it was pretty average. Actually, without the most delicious fried chicken in the world, it was subpar. The chicken is the ONLY reason I am giving 3 stars. It was so crispy and juicy and slightly spicy. Awesome. The green beans were flavorless, the mashed potatoes average, the spaghetti with meatballs was decent. Everything was just average. Also very disappointed in the dessert options, or lack thereof. The only choices were some crusty looking chocolate chip cookies or these little cinnamon donuts with cinnamon butter. No pie or ice cream or cake or brownies or anything like that. In general, very disappointing. read more

This place is really a gem! The food is delicious and the service is friendly! I wish we would have discovered it a long time ago!

I came here for an event and this review takes that into account, which is why it is 4 stars. I would have given 5, but the room quality for the price someone pays does not equate in today's competition. The event itself was okay, but the thing which made it amazing was all of the things the staff did to make our event special. We had a light spread of danishes and fruits for breakfast. There was always fresh coffee and water. The decor was simple, yet thoughtful and well laid out. Lunch was also supplied and they offered a wide variety of dishes like peanut chicken and curry. They also offered the traditional American cuisine too! I was very impressed with the professionalism and service of the staff. Now for the room, well it was built back in the 50's and being a State run facility it is actually quite impressive. But for the modern age and competition of privately owned hotels, it lacks comfort, modernization, and a state of the art bathroom. Knowing it is run on a very small budget, areas I would focus on for improvement: shower heads, (check out Fort Harrison) mattresses, and new comforters and sheets. Nobody really likes the quilt/country look anymore. Overall, great experience for our event. read more

See all

Not so much.... The food here was bland. I like bland, but this was B-L-A-N-D! The biscuits of the biscuits and apple butter needed lots more cinnamon and sugar. Although very crispy, the fried chicken was just plain flavorless. The corn had absolutely no sweetness. The pies were the absolute worst thing about the meal though. The "pumpkin" pie (was it really pumpkin?) was the worst piece of pie I've ever had. The apple wasn't much better. Icky. Our server was nice. Since the place wasn't busy, she kinda hovered over us a bit. It was nice to have instant refills, but our conversations somewhat suffered from the refilling of the drinks and clearing away of the plates. Ugh, read more

See all

We think dinner at the Canyon Inn is absolutely the best value for a meal we have ever found. Delicious food, friendly servers and a beautiful atmosphere makes us a fantastic place to eat. The sugar cream pie is epic. you can enjoy the beautiful scenery watching birds at the bird feeders by the windows while you eat. There is a wide variety to choose from on the buffet. Everything we tried was delicious. the cost was not much different than stopping at a fast food restaurant but the quality of the food was amazing. read more

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. read more

Canyon Inn at McCormick's - Pool - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

A beautiful old inn with history in the oldest state park in indiana. Staff was polite & helpful. Rooms are lovely & clean. Cool outdoor spaces but I was there when it was still cold. But there is an outdoor pool, tennis court, basketball, nature center. A beautiful waterfall that is a short walk from the inn. I'd stay there again for sure! read more

The inn was better than some other park inns despite this being the oldest. Everything was clean except a stain on my bedsheets. We told maid and not only did she refuse to fix it but also refused to even give us more towels for our second night. So rude! Room was spacious enough and bed was good enough. Room and bath were basic but clean. Nice common areas. Inn restaurant was not good for vegetarians. That was the major problem with our stay. We had to drive into town to eat, somewhat defeating purpose of staying at a park inn. Two lunches and dinners in a row and nothing on the menu without meat. Even breakfast had limited vegetarian items. A vegetable omelet would have been nice. We tried to order a cheese omelet but the cook refused. read more

They are taking the buffett out which is why most anyone would want to eat there. Witnessed this the other day. So we ordered their chicken with coleslaw. Coleslaw tasted spoiled and waitress agreed and my companion. Chicken breading was horrible. Really too bad this has come to this. Blame it on covid if you want. Should never have take out the buffett equipment. Not worth staying there unless you just want to sleep there and enjoy walking the trails. read more

Canyon Inn restaurant was so bad last night! Have had a good meal pre-COVID, so decided to go back last night. Big mistake! Gray meatloaf with instant mashed potatoes covered in a canned, gloppy gravy. No taste at all. Appearance was worse than the taste. Biscuit was hard as a rock. Pies were a cheap, frozen version of pecan and sugar cream that were presented with broken crusts and a dollop of Cool Whip. A fairly disgusting meal that makes a TV dinner appetizing. read more

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. read more

I have always enjoyed staying here. I love the dining room and the service here. The atmosphere is woodsy and calm,I was able to do a little bird watching while dining. The food servers are always sweet and polite. Sometimes, I wish I could come here more often. They are not pet friendly, main drawback..Therapeutic and restful. It is neat and clean. read more

This place was absolutely miserable. The rooms are extremely tiny and claustrophobic. We felt like we were in a low income hospice room. The lady at the front desk said we had a great view and it was literally just a brick wall of part of the building. Say they have a pool but it's outdoors, you have to drive to it And you have to pay to use it!.. No microwave or refrigerator. Went to turn in our room keys and was completely ignored by the 2 ladies at the front desk so I just left them on the counter and walked away. We paid in advance for a breakfast package when we paid for the room but we wandered around the dinning room obviously confused on if we seat ourselves, etc but no one tried to help us and the staff was just very unwelcoming so we left without our paid breakfast because we didn't want to stay a second longer. Trust me, make a tiny drive down the road to a different hotel and AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS. read more

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. read more

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. read more

I really liked both the food and lodging here!! Dinner buffet--fried chicken was tops, as was the meatloaf. The salad part of the buffet was adequate--not a ton of selection, but everything was fresh and tasty. Our server was friendly and professional. She kept our drinks filled and plates swept away after a trip to the buffet. Excellent service! Lodging--the room was quaint and cozy. A bit small than I expected, but everything was sparkling clear, the shower was hot, and the bed decent. I think it's a good value for the money and we'll certainly return for both lodging and food! read more

Paid for a Queen deluxe room that is listed as 230 square feet on their reservation website, here we are stuck in a standard Queen room that website has listed as 148 square feet. Here we are on our 30th anniversary getaway and stuck in this cracker box. I was told by front desk that the only difference between rooms was standard queen room doesn't have refrigerator or microwave and queen deluxe room does. I've sent emails to manager and no reply. Drove over 3 hours to get here and this will be my last visit read more

My family stayed in Room 233 on 10-31-2020. The front desk staff was very pleasant and efficient at check in. While leaving that area, a patron identifying them self as a resident of room 230 inquired about the lack of hot water. The clerk said she would get right on it. An hour later I wanted to take a shower. I let the water run for approximately ten minutes and no water even close enough to shower in was appearing. I called the front desk and they offered to switch room. I let them know it is not a one room problem, but a boiler problem plaguing many folks I would guess. She said they would call the Department of Natural Resources and get back with me. I never heard anything back from the front desk all night. When I went to turn the light on near my bed to read, it wouldn't come on. Upon further inspection, it didn't have a bulb. The next morning we were all going to shower, eat breakfast, and explore the park. We let the water run again, and the temperature still was not close to warm enough to not shiver in the shower. We ended up getting dressed an just leaving at 7:30 AM. When I turned my key in the front desk clerks didn't ask how my stay was, or even say have a great trip. I walked away and simply stated I hope you get your hot water problem solved. The front desk clerk just chuckled. I paid $164 for a very basic 1970's styled room with a cold shower. Never again!! read more

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!! read more

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 3rd floor room. The Canyon Inn is our favorite of the few state park lodges we have seen so far. read more

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. read more

I'd have to say that we didn't go here on their best day. It was the evening of July fourth and we needed food. We were seated and then ignored for about ten minutes. We asked if we should just hit the buffet or if someone wanted to take a drink order. The staff working around us huddled and then went back about their business. After another long wait, we finally met our waitress, she was tasked with other duties that took her away from the few tables that had customers. She took our drink order and showed us a menu. We decided that it was quicker and more reliable to just grab food from the buffet so we knew we would get something. The cold part of the buffet was all well and good. The hot portion was old, sad and over cooked. I think the fried chicken would break if hit with a fork. The scalloped potatoes that were under the heat lamp were like plastic. We ate what we could and moved on. Odds are we won't try again unless we want a breakfast buffet and get there when it's first stocked. Or nothing else is open. read more

Stayed two nights for a wedding. This is not 5 star. If you want the city, go to Indy. If you want a quiet stay with some history, this is your spot. Awesome staff!!! The food is tasty if plain. I highly recommend staying at the inn and visiting the winery. read more

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. read more

*Update: the electricity came on at some point during the night. This morning we went to check out there was different staff. The lady up front was so sweet and listened to us. She said she needs the manager to hear this, so she introduced us to Donna. She gave us a 100% refund for the room (we weren't expecting this at all) and both women were extremely apologetic. We will be returning if we make it down this way again. Thank you ladies for making things right! I'm usually very easy going and I'm a simple person. The moment we walked into the lobby, it began storming. The moment we unlocked our room door, the power went out. No lights in the room, tv, power. Our phones are dead from using gps traveling. I'm on 19% and thought it was important to leave this review with what I have left. We're not from the area and just wanted a place to rest to charge our phones and hit the road again. The ladies at the desk completely ignored me when I walked up. When one finally acknowledged me, I asked for an update. She said "the power just went off" and I said, "It's been off since we got here 45 minutes ago." I asked for a refund so we could leave and go somewhere else, and she said "No, we don't do that," and turned her back to me. We were told the game room was closed, one pool is closed, the second pool closed in 45 min, and the restaurant was closing in 15 min due to the lack power. Drove around for hours charging our phones and came back, still no update on the power situation. Decided to take a shower while there was a bit of sunlight left. Barely even room-temperature water so it was a 1-minute shower. For $100.89, I sure wish I could've charged my phone or taken a moderately warm shower. The reason I'm so upset is that I literally paid for my room 1 minute before the power went out. Obviously if I would've walked in a minute later and experienced the outage, I wouldn't have stayed here. None of the amenities offered on the website and asked about over the phone were available. All I wanted was a refund and to be on my way to actually enjoy our quick stay in Spencer. read more

Greatly enjoyed Sunday dinner at the Canyon Inn. The service was excellent, and the chicken, oh goodness. Definitely worth the gate fee, but next year, I'm buying a pass. The salad bar and desserts are also very good. I also enjoy supporting the park, which is nearby to where I live. Keep up the great food and service. read more

The food and staff the Inn we're fantastic. The park is very nice. Enjoyed taking pictures of the waterfalls, bridge, flowers and birds. The squirrels were so funny! read more

Food was gross,wait service sucked and not worth the price and you have to pay 7 dollars to enter the park

We stayed here two nights, tonight being our last night. Everyone has been very friendly and the kids enjoyed the hiking trails especially walking the creek and seeing the snakes! The cave was a favorite!! The Inn swimming pool was clean and refreshing. The breakfast at the Inn restaurant was delicious! read more

I've stayed at the Canyon Inn twice and have really enjoyed it each time. Rooms are simple but beds are very comfortable. Keep in mind, this is a state park inn and not a big city hotel. The rooms had TV's with basic cable. My remote control probably needed new batteries but I was not there to stay in the room and watch television! I gave it 4 stars because I think the bathroom in my room could have used a deeper cleaning but, again, keeping in mind I was at a state park inn. The Canyon Room restaurant has wonderful comfort foods and a great breakfast buffet. The view from the patio looks into the woods with bird feeders hanging right outside the windows! A bird lovers paradise! There is a common room with a lot of seating and tables to play games on. Small coffee maker for a free cup of coffee anytime. The setting and history of the Inn is wonderful. Perfect place for a family gathering! read more

See all

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. read more