Clifty Falls State Park

Clifty Falls State Park is home to four named waterfalls that change moods with the weather and the seasons and can range from roaring plunges to delicate bridal-veil mists to gleaming frozen titans. Visit in winter or spring to see them in their full glory. 

The rugged splendor of Clifty Canyon offers exciting year-round hiking and scenery. Clifty Creek’s stony bed is littered with fossil remnants telling of a long-vanished marine ecosystem that teemed with life that included ancient corals, ancestral squids, brachiopods and more. The park’s 425 million-year-old shale and limestone rocks are among the oldest bedrock exposures in Indiana. Fossil collecting within Clifty Falls State Park is prohibited but nearby collecting locations are readily accessible.

In 1852, the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad began work on a route through Clifty Canyon. Abandoned in bankruptcy, the project left extensive grade and stonework, the most prominent remnant being a muddy, rock-strewn, 600-foot long tunnel. This tunnel is passable on foot with a flashlight from May 1 – October 31. It is closed November 1 – April 30 to protect hibernating bats. 

Come and visit for the day, or spend a night in our campground or the Clifty Inn. The Clifty Inn overlooks the Ohio Valley and the historic river town of Madison and offers delicious meals in their restaurant that is open to all park visitors year-round. The park has 10 trails of varying difficulties, a nature center, swimming pool, picnic areas, and it’s over 1500 acres is home to many native animals including deer, turkeys, bobcats and more! 

Clifty Falls State Park
(812) 273-8885
1501 Green Rd. 
Madison, IN 47250