Clifty Falls

Worth the drive

Is it plungeworthy?

70feet tall

A plunge on Big Clifty Creek.

Scale45/60

Documentation15/20

Character14/20

The details

Type: Plunge
Watercourse: Big Clifty Creek
Coordinates: 38.76619, -85.43639

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About Clifty Falls

Clifty Falls is a 70-foot plunge in Indiana, on Big Clifty Creek.

It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.

Plungeworthy rates Clifty Falls 7.4/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Big Clifty Falls is the park's namesake — Big Clifty Creek coming off a 60-foot limestone ledge near the main entrance, the most visited and most photographed drop in the gorge. (Some databases list it at 70 feet; the DNR's own figure is 60.)

This is the accessible end of the park's waterfall spectrum: overlooks near the north entrance put you above the falls within minutes of the gate, no rugged canyon scrambling required.

The gorge below it is a National Natural Landmark — 425-million-year-old Ordovician fossil beds stack the canyon walls.

Getting there

Trailhead: Clifty Falls State Park north entrance area, Madison
Parking: Lot at the north-entrance overlooks
Road: Paved park roads
Hike: 0.5 mi round trip (Easy to the overlooks; Trails 1, 9, and 10 work the rim, canyon routes are a different animal)
Heads up: Clifty Inn sits on the rim nearby — falls views from the lodge.

When to go

December through June; after a proper rain the whole 60-foot curtain fills in. Late-summer visitors often find bare rock.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: $7 per vehicle Indiana plates, $15 out-of-state
Dogs: Leashed, six feet maximum
Camping: In the park campground
Warnings: Above and below all waterfalls is always off limits — the overlook railings are the viewing area.

Researched from Indiana DNR — Clifty Falls State Park · Indiana DNR — state park entrance fees · Wikipedia — Clifty Falls State Park. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Clifty Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.