- Spring Mill State Park
Infobox_protected_area | name = Spring Mill State Park, Indiana, USA
iucn_category = III
caption = Map of theU.S. state ofIndiana showing the location of Spring Mill State Park
locator_x = 121
locator_y = 207
location = Lawrence County,Indiana , USA
nearest_city =Mitchell, Indiana
lat_degrees = 38
lat_minutes = 44
lat_seconds = 00
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 86
long_minutes = 25
long_seconds = 12
long_direction = W
area = convert|1319|acre|km2|2|lk=on
established =
visitation_num = 627,566
visitation_year = 2003-2004
governing_body =Indiana Department of Natural Resources Spring Mill State Park is a convert|1319|acre|km2|0|sing=on
state park in the state ofIndiana . The park is located to the south of Bloomington, about convert|3|mi|km|0 east of the town of Mitchell on Indiana Highway 60.The park is located on the Mitchell
Karst Plain, which allowed the park'scaves andsinkholes to form in the limestone. The caves include Bronson Cave, Twin Caves, Donaldson Cave, Hamer Cave, and others. A boat tour of Twin Caves is run by theIndiana Department of Natural Resources , which travels about convert|500|ft|m|-1 into the cave. Donaldson Cave has a wet and dry side; the dry side is open for exploration. Donaldson can be dangerous if explored against regulations. In July 1985, a young man was trapped for 3 days after exploring the cave against regulations. The story was aired onRescue 911 in 1989 ( [http://youtube.com/watch?v=8Bt_3GMIrXw see] ).A portion of the park is virgin
timber , including the Donaldson Woods Nature Preserve and the MitchellKarst Plain Nature Preserves. Many of the park's features were constructed by theCivilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, including the Spring Mill Inn, Spring Mill Lake, campgrounds, and several shelters and trails.A pioneer
village can also be found in a valley in the park, featuring a historicgrist mill , blacksmith shop, tavern, distillery, gardens, and several other structures. A stream runs through the village, which is fed by a spring in Hamer Cave and powers the grist mill. Interpretive naturalists play pioneers from the 1860s and demonstrate trades of the day. The Hamer Cemetery is located south of the village and the graves of several village residents from the mid-1800s are found there, as well as many more modern graves. The area, 295 acres total, was purchased for the state park from acement company for a single dollar. [http://www.in.gov/dnr/history/ Official (Indiana) DNR Historical Timeline] The village had been prospering in the mid 1800s, but when theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad bypassed it later in the century, it had become a ghost town. After acquiring the property,Richard Lieber and E.Y. Guernsey began reconstruction of the village, with six buildings being original, six being reconstructed, and four being moved to the property. [http://www.gbl.indiana.edu/crm/reports/roi0319.pdf]Also of interest is a memorial to native resident of Mitchell,
Gus Grissom , one of the originalMercury Seven astronauts, who died in theApollo 1 accident. The memorial features the spacecraft from Grissom'sGemini 3 space flight, nicknamed the "Molly Brown " (after the play The Unsinkable Molly Brown) by Grissom, as well as a short video about the life of Grissom, and artifacts such as a space suit, helmet, and electronics.The campground features 188 Class A campsites which include 30 amp electric service, a fire ring, and a picnic table for each site. Thirty-five primitive campsites and youth camping are also available. Four "comfort stations" are located in the campground, which include modern plumbing, restrooms and showers. A camp store is accessible from both inside and outside the campground.
Gallery
References
* [http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/6685.html Official site]
*cite web
url = http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lon=-86.42&lat=38.7333
title = Spring Mill State Park, USGS Mitchell (IN) Topo Map
accessdate = 2008-06-29
author =United States Geological Survey
publisher =TopoQuest External links
[http://southernindianatrails.awardspace.com/springmills.htm Spring Mill Info and Photos]
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