The adventures continue! Our love of Indiana DNR continues to grow and I would imagine we will have hit all the state parks sooner rather than later. For the 2021 camping season we got an early start with our Spring Mill State Park review. It did not disappoint!
Mounds State Park Review
Overview
This park has many awesome, wholesome things to do. It is a jammed pack with history and educational opportunities, hiking, laid-back water fun, and caves! This state park features a full-scale pioneer village with a grain mill and outbuildings.
General information
Getting to Spring Mill is a bit of a challenge from Indianapolis at the moment, there is a large amount of highway infrastructure projects going on but once you make it to Bloomington it is a snap! From Bloomington just head east to the Mitchell/Bedford area off of IN-37.
Trails
With about 8 miles of trails there is a trail for just about ever level of hiker. We really enjoyed Trail 5 around the lake. Since it was early spring there were a large varity of wildflowers blooming. Trails 3 and 4 have a lot of up-hill terrain and a serious set of steps as well. Totally worth it though, Donaldson Cave was a blast to explore.
There is also a 2-mile mountain biking trail that is smack-dab between the campground and the hiking trails.
Camping style
A Spring Mill State Park review wouldn’t be complete without talking about our setup! For the tent situation, we upgraded this season. Our Semoo 3-person tent is still alive, barely after Mounds, but we needed a little more room. I snagged a pricey but fab Grand Hut 6 tent from REI. Yes, I know there are just two of us – – the four-person wasn’t in stock and I decided I wanted to plan ahead for future friends. Click here to snag a similar set-up for your camping trip!
Highlights
The caves were awesome! I am so glad I am starting to get a little more laidback about getting wet and my travel buddy is getting a bit more confident and coordinated around the water.
| The small human’s highlights | The mama’s highlights | |
|---|---|---|
| Favorite things | Pioneer Village, hiking, and camping | Great trails and cool (literally) caves |
| Coolest thing seen | Saw three deer in the forest, the turtles in Nature Center | All the animals! |
| Final thoughts | Loved Donaldson Cave, hiking down the creek, and all the wildflowers | Beautiful park, an interesting snapshot into history with Pioneer Village |
Lowlights
The biggest lowlight for me our this adventure was the sheer fact that anytime we wanted to do the “fun” stuff we needed to drive. I think this will improve in the years to come as my daughter gets to be a stronger bike rider.
I also had an unexpected disconnect from technology – – no cell service! This wasn’t really a lowlight but something I will better prepare for on our next trip.
Would we go back again?
Totally! We are already planning our next trip back to explore the mill during the season.
Let’s hit the road!
Live the life you love, y’all, and do the things that make your heart happy. If you need some tips, tools, and strategies to make your ‘work-life’ easier check out The Busy Llama Business Toolbox so that you can spend the rest of your time traveling and enjoying life!
Have a recommendation for a place for us to go camping or maybe a tip or two? Drop me a line or comment below!
Source: Indiana DNR Spring Mill Property Map
