Squaw Creek Heliport

Economic and operational. The heliport was a private facility that existed solely to support the Squaw Creek Mine. When Peabody Energy ceased major operations and idled the mine due to market conditions and the depletion of economically viable coal reserves, the supporting infrastructure, including the heliport, was no longer needed.

The physical helipad and its markings are still visible on satellite imagery within the Squaw Creek Mine complex. However, the site is part of the idle mine property. It is inactive, not maintained for aviation purposes, and is on private land that is closed to the public. The surrounding mine is in a state of care and maintenance or undergoing land reclamation.

The heliport was a private, corporate facility with no public historical significance. Its importance was purely logistical for the Peabody Coal Company (now Peabody Energy). It served as a vital asset for the Squaw Creek Mine, one of Indiana's largest surface coal mines. Operations handled would have included transporting company executives and engineers to and from the remote site, conducting aerial surveys and inspections of the vast mining operations, and potentially serving as a landing zone for emergency medical evacuations.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Squaw Creek Heliport. Any potential for reopening is entirely contingent on the full-scale reactivation of the Squaw Creek Mine by Peabody Energy. As of now, there are no definitive public plans to restart mining operations, making the heliport's future use for aviation highly unlikely.