Cecil M Harden Lake: Raccoon State Recreation Area & the Mansfield Roller Mill, Finding Opportunities in Every Change

Cecil M. Harden Lake, aka Raccoon State Recreation Area, aka the Mansfield Dam. They're all the same place, and the place is amazing! Driving in, I was struck by how beautiful and well-maintained the campground was. It was clean, tidy, and inviting. Then of course, there's the amazing reservoir, the property’s centerpiece and the reason it exists. The lake was active, with colorful boats on the water. As I hiked the trails, I had frequent glimpses of little coves and valleys where the water sparkled invitingly. While the property has had many name changes, the beauty remains the same.

IN the Podcast Episode

First, I learned who Cecil M. Harden was and how to pronounce her – yes, her! – name. (It’s seh-sill, not see-sill.) She served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and advocated for this land to become a recreation area. I interviewed the park’s interpretive naturalist to learn the history of the families and communities who lived here before the dam went up. We talked a lot about the well-maintained campgrounds, the trails and other park activities, and the enjoyment of the lake. We also took a field trip to Mansfield, where we toured the historic Mansfield Mill. I share all about it in the episode as well.

Park Features

The park’s most popular activity is boating on Cecil. M Harden Lake, followed by people enjoying the beach. There are five boat access ramps and two marinas that are open May through October. While some lakes are paddle-friendly, this is the spot for bigger boats. The fishing at the lake is also excellent, including the second-largest striped bass caught in the state. There are shelters, picnic spots, hiking, and hunting. The park even has an archery trail for target practice. The campgrounds are a major draw as well, with electric, non-electric, and primitive sites available.

The trails at the park are all 1-2 miles, and they reminded me of Turkey Run with the scenery, but the trails were less rugged. Ross Plotkin, the park’s interpretive naturalist, recommended Trails 4 and 5. Trail 4 had more ups and downs and is a bit more rugged. But Ross said, “Trail 5 only has one set of stairs on the whole thing and two bridges. It goes through the woods, through an upland forest, and then it goes out into a managed wildflower grass plot.” The wildflowers are beautiful all summer long, even into early fall.

Camping at Raccoon SRA

Many people spending time on the water or trails are also camping at the park. Driving in, I was so impressed by the campsites. They were so inviting, beautiful, and well-manicured. The grass was bright green, but still neatly mowed and tidy. Ross said that's the goal, “The number one thing that people tell us is this is the cleanest park they've ever been in. So we take a lot of pride in that. We make sure that we can live up to that claim.” A crisp, freshly mowed look is the aesthetic Raccoon SRA is going for. Ross told me, “Everything is mowed, so there's no barriers between sites… We get a lot of compliments on the way that our campground looks, so we like to try and keep it to what our visitors expect.” The park has 240 electric and 37 non-electric sites, so there are plenty of options for campers.

Now, if you prefer your park be more nature than nurture, the property does have that too. Ross said, “We have parts of the park that are more nature-y…where you can get off into the woods on a trail, and you can pretend that you're away from everything.” I appreciated that the campground offered a lot of options. There are 35 primitive sites, and several of them are wooded for people who like to feel more secluded.

The Mansfield Mill

The staff at Cecil M. Harden Lake also manages the Mansfield roller mill. You might be familiar with Mansfield if you've ever been to the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival because it's one of the hot spots to visit. The Mansfield Mill and the area around it give you one of those back-in-time moments. Behind the mill flows Big Raccoon Creek, and there's a small dam that was used to power the turbine in the mill.

If you've been to the mill at Spring Mill State Park and wondered what happened next in the whole journey of mills, your answer is: Mansfield Mill. Spring Mill's grist mill was built by 1820 and operated until the 1870s. By the 1880s, when the Mansfield roller mill was in use, technology had come a long way. Some of those innovations include how water was used. At Spring Mill, you'll see a water wheel, but at Mansfield Mill, there is no water wheel because the mill wouldn't have had one. Its power came from a turbine, which was below the basement of the mill, actually underwater. Turbines were an improvement for mills because they required less water force, less maintenance, and since the turbine was underwater, it could still be used when the nearby creek was frozen. 

In the podcast, I share about the original owners of the mill, how they innovated as technology and production needs changed, and what happened to the town of Mansfield. I also learned how Mansfield became a festival town. You can celebrate mushrooms, beans and cornbread, and covered bridges, all by visiting Mansfield. 

Planning Your Visit

If you love camping and being on the water, one of the park's major events is the Fourth of July celebration, but campsites fill up fast. Ross told me, “We do a sandcastle contest in the morning, and then a cornhole tournament in the afternoon. And then the fireworks are at dusk.” Thousands of people and thousands of boats come to watch. It’s an event you don’t want to miss!

Another ideal time for camping and visiting the property is during the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, which is mid-October. Not only will you find plenty of festival fun in Mansfield by the mill, but the nearby city of Rockville and the historic Billy Creek Village are incredibly charming to visit then too. No matter when you visit, I know you’ll enjoy Cecil M. Harden Lake. Go make some of your own memories, and I hope to see you in the parks!