McCormick's Creek Trail 3 (Falls and Canyon) Hiking Guide
McCormick's Creek became Indiana's first state park in 1916, and Trail 3 is its signature short hike: a short loop from across Canyon Inn down to the waterfall and through the limestone canyon below it. There are no bridges over the creek, so this is a hike where you pick your way across on rock.
Permit: McCormick's Creek is a state park with a gate fee of $7 per vehicle per day for Indiana plates and $15 for out-of-state plates. Anyone entering on foot, bicycle or horseback pays $2 (age 5 and older). Annual entrance passes ($50 resident, $120 nonresident) are good through Dec. 31.
Distance and Difficulty
The DNR lists Trail 3 as a 0.8-mile loop and rates it Rugged. The Outbound gives the same 0.8 miles with about 150 feet of elevation gain and calls it a good workout with several creek crossings. Hiking Project maps only part of the route, a 0.6-mile segment. Short as it is, plan extra time for stairs, slick limestone and careful footing at each crossing.
The Route and the Creek
The loop begins across the road from Canyon Inn, drops to the falls and canyon, and finishes at the Stoney restroom. The park stresses that there are no bridges across the creek and that fluctuating water levels can make parts of the trail seasonally inaccessible. When the creek is up, enjoy the falls from the rim instead: the half-mile Echo Canyon Trail starts at the Centennial Shelter, and its first quarter mile has a firm, accessible surface and leads to two accessible overlooks of the creek and falls.
Tornado Recovery
An EF-3 tornado crossed the park on March 31, 2023, seriously damaging about 282 of its 1,961 acres, mostly in the campground and Wolf Cave Nature Preserve. Trail 3 is on the DNR's list of fully open trails. Trails 6, 7 and 10 remain closed until a rebuilt campground is finished, and the DNR expects construction to begin by spring 2027; Trail 10, which used to link the canyon to Trail 7, is part of that closure. The Wolf Cave parking lot is also closed, so reach Trail 5 and Wolf Cave from the nature center via Trail 8. The campground itself is closed indefinitely.
Hours, Fees and Dogs
The property is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the nature center keeps 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours, with reduced winter days. At the gate, a car with Indiana plates pays $7 and one from out of state pays $15. Leashed dogs can use the trail on a leash no longer than six feet; with the creek crossings, a dog that is comfortable on wet rock will have an easier time. McCormick's Creek is also one of the parks the DNR closes for its firearms deer-management hunts, two short closures in mid- and late November.
More to See Nearby
The Civilian Conservation Corps built the stone arch bridge, the fire tower, the gatehouse and the recreation hall in the 1930s. Trail 2 leads to the Quarry Loop and the old Statehouse Quarry, which supplied limestone for the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Canyon Inn's lobby and dining room are open to all park visitors, a handy stop after a wet-footed loop.
Hiking tips for McCormick's Creek Trail 3 (Falls and Canyon)
- Bring shoes you don't mind getting wet; every crossing is on rock, not a bridge.
- Check the creek level at the overlooks before committing to the canyon floor.
- Use the Echo Canyon overlooks when the water is too high to cross.
- Follow barricades and closed signs in the tornado zone; the DNR prohibits entering them.
- Combine Trail 3 with Trail 2 to see the old Statehouse Quarry.
Nearby trails to explore
- Ogle Lake Trail 7 (Brown County State Park)
- Red Trail (Eagle Creek Park)
- Camp Creek Trail (Fort Harrison State Park)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Trail 3 is short enough to pair with lunch at Canyon Inn, which makes it an easy group outing. Post a McCormick's Creek hike on TrailMates, sort out rides from Indianapolis in the event's group chat, and meet across from the inn at the trailhead. Download TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.