SPENCER, Ind. — Plans for a new campground at McCormick’s Creek State Park include more campsites, full hookups and new amenities following the destruction of the park’s campground by a tornado in 2023. Gov. Mike Braun and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced the plans Mond ay. The new campground will cover 65 acres and include 192 modern campsites with electricity, water and sewer hookups. The sites will be about 32 by 40 feet, providing more space for campers and larger recreational vehicles. The campground also will have 32 primitive campsites for tent camping. Existing group camps will remain available for rent. Plans call for a new gatehouse and camp store, three comfort stations and playgrounds near each building. The project also includes tree planting and landscaping throughout the campground. An EF-3 tornado hit McCormick’s Creek State Park in March 2023, destroying the campground and much of the surrounding trees. Cleanup and debris removal have since been completed, clearing the area for construction. “As Indiana’s first state park, McCormick’s Creek has been a place where families and friends have gathered and created memories for more than a century,” Braun said. “We are now ready to rebuild this campground stronger, more resilient, and better suited for today’s visitors.” The new campground is expected to cost $25 million. The DNR Division of Forestry will provide timber for the gatehouse and camp store. Construction bids are scheduled to open Oct. 20, 2026. The new campground is expected to open in late summer 2028. ...read more read less