Clifty Falls State Park

Clifty Falls State Park is one of the most scenic parks in southern Indiana, perched on rugged bluffs above the Ohio River near the historic town of Madison, where a deep, boulder-strewn gorge cradles a series of dramatic waterfalls. The park’s rushing creeks tumble over rocky ledges in cascades like Big Clifty Falls, which plunges some 60 feet, Little Clifty, Hoffman and Tunnel falls, making it one of the finest waterfall destinations in the state.

Carved into ancient limestone and shale rich with marine fossils, the rugged Clifty Canyon is a wild and shadowed gorge of boulders, ledges and seasonal cascades, explored by trails that range from easy overlooks to strenuous, rocky creek-bed scrambles. High on the bluffs, overlooks offer sweeping views of the Ohio River valley and the Kentucky shore beyond. With its waterfalls, rugged gorge, fossil-rich rock, river vistas and proximity to charming, historic Madison, Clifty Falls is a treasured destination in southeastern Indiana.

Clifty Falls State Park offers rugged and rewarding hiking — trails range from easy overlooks of the Ohio River valley to strenuous, boulder-strewn scrambles down the creek bed of Clifty Canyon to its waterfalls, including Big Clifty, Little Clifty, Hoffman and Tunnel falls. Beyond hiking, the park offers an inn, campgrounds, a swimming pool, a nature center and picnic areas. The combination of dramatic waterfalls, a rugged fossil-rich gorge and sweeping river vistas makes Clifty Falls a premier waterfall and hiking destination in southern Indiana.

Spring is the prime season for the waterfalls, when snowmelt and rain send the creeks rushing over the ledges in full, dramatic flow, along with wildflowers. Fall brings spectacular color to the gorge and river valley, and winter can transform the falls into striking ice. Summer is lush but the falls can dwindle in dry spells. The waterfalls are most powerful after rain and in spring; fall color and winter ice are also highlights. Visit after rain for the fullest falls, and take care on the rugged gorge trails.

Clifty Falls State Park, established in 1920, preserves a rugged gorge and waterfalls near the historic Ohio River town of Madison, one of Indiana’s best-preserved 19th-century river towns. The park’s Tunnel Falls is named for an unfinished 1850s railroad tunnel nearby, a relic of an abandoned rail project. The Civilian Conservation Corps developed park facilities in the 1930s. Long treasured for its waterfalls and river vistas, Clifty Falls has been a beloved southern Indiana destination, blending natural drama with the rich history of the Ohio River valley.

Clifty Canyon is carved into ancient limestone and shale laid down some 400-440 million years ago in warm tropical seas, rock that is richly fossiliferous — the gorge’s rocks and boulders contain abundant fossils of ancient marine creatures. Creeks have cut the deep, rugged gorge, tumbling over the resistant ledges in waterfalls and strewing the canyon floor with boulders. The fossil-rich sedimentary rock, the deep gorge and the cascading falls, set above the Ohio River valley, make the park a vivid window into ancient seas and erosive forces.

The gorge, forests and Ohio River bluffs of Clifty Falls State Park host white-tailed deer, foxes, and a rich community of birds, including vultures and raptors that soar along the bluffs and migratory birds along the Ohio River valley, while the creeks and the river support fish and aquatic life. The cool, shaded gorge shelters salamanders and amphibians. The varied habitat of gorge, forest and river valley makes the park a fine place for wildlife watching and birding in southeastern Indiana.

Clifty Falls State Park protects a rugged gorge ecosystem where the cool, shaded, moist canyon shelters ferns, mosses and diverse plants beneath limestone cliffs, set within the surrounding forest on the Ohio River bluffs. The fossil-rich gorge, the seasonal waterfalls, the creeks and the river-valley forest support varied plant and animal life. The cool microclimate of the deep gorge adds ecological diversity. Protecting the gorge, the creeks’ water quality and the forest sustains both the ecology and the scenic beauty of this southern Indiana park above the Ohio River.

Clifty Falls State Park, with its dramatic waterfalls, rugged fossil-rich gorge and sweeping Ohio River vistas, holds a cherished place among Indiana’s parks, long treasured for its scenery and its setting above the historic river town of Madison. The park’s cascades, its relic railroad tunnel, and its blend of natural drama and Ohio River valley heritage have drawn generations of hikers, waterfall-seekers and history lovers, making Clifty Falls a beloved and scenic destination in southeastern Indiana.

Clifty Falls State Park is in southeastern Indiana at Madison, off State Route 56 and State Route 62, on the Ohio River about an hour from Louisville and within reach of Cincinnati and Indianapolis. A state park entrance fee is charged. The park offers the Clifty Inn, campgrounds, waterfall and gorge trailheads (from easy overlooks to strenuous creek-bed routes), a swimming pool, a nature center and Ohio River overlooks. The gorge trails are rugged and rocky. Check the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for fees, trail conditions and access before visiting.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources protects the gorge, waterfalls, creeks, forests and Ohio River bluffs of Clifty Falls State Park. Visitors help by staying on the trails to protect the fragile gorge and creek-bed habitats, keeping back from cliff edges and the tops of waterfalls, not collecting the fossils or rocks, packing out everything, protecting the creeks’ water quality, and respecting wildlife. Protecting the fossil-rich gorge, the waterfalls and the river-valley forest sustains both the ecology and the scenic beauty of this treasured southern Indiana park.

Clifty Falls’ gorge trails are rugged and dangerous — the creek-bed routes involve scrambling over slippery boulders, and the park warns that these are among the most hazardous trails in the Indiana system, with injuries and deaths from falls. Stay on trails, keep back from cliff edges and the tops of the falls, wear sturdy footwear with good grip, and avoid the gorge in high water or ice. Supervise children closely, carry water, never climb on the falls, and take great care on the slippery, rocky terrain.

A state park entrance fee is charged. Stay on designated trails and back from cliff edges and the tops of waterfalls; the rugged gorge trails are hazardous. Do not collect fossils, rocks or plants. Camp only in designated campgrounds; the inn requires reservations. Pets must be leashed. Drones generally require authorization. Pack out all trash. Heed all trail-difficulty and safety warnings. Check the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for current rules, trail status and conditions before visiting.

The historic Ohio River town of Madison — one of the best-preserved 19th-century towns in the Midwest, with a celebrated historic district — lies right beside the park, with the Ohio River, the Kentucky shore across the water, and the rolling hills of southeastern Indiana within reach. Louisville is about an hour southwest, and Cincinnati and Indianapolis are within reach. Clifty Falls anchors a scenic and historic region of waterfalls, river vistas and 19th-century heritage along the Ohio River.

Visit after spring rains or snowmelt for the fullest, most dramatic flow over Big Clifty and the other falls, and choose your trails carefully — the creek-bed gorge routes are rugged and hazardous (among Indiana’s most dangerous), so wear grippy footwear, avoid them in high water, and stick to overlooks if unsure. Look for fossils in the gorge rock (but leave them), enjoy the Ohio River vistas, and combine the park with the historic riverfront town of Madison next door.