Tunnel Falls
Worth the drive
Is it plungeworthy?
A plunge on Deans Branch.
The details
- Type
- Plunge
- Watercourse
- Deans Branch
- Coordinates
- 38.7612, -85.42829
About Tunnel Falls
Tunnel Falls is a 83-foot plunge in Indiana, on Deans Branch.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates Tunnel Falls 7.6/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
Tunnel Falls is the tallest of the four named waterfalls at Clifty Falls State Park — an 83-foot drop into the limestone gorge above Madison, named for Brough's Tunnel, the abandoned 1852 railroad bore in the canyon wall beside it.
The railroad that dug the tunnel went broke before laying track; the falls outlasted it by 170 years and counting. The tunnel itself is currently closed indefinitely after a rockslide, and closes every November through April regardless to protect hibernating bats.
Reaching it means real hiking — Trail 2, which the DNR calls the most rugged trail in Indiana, or the six-mile loop that strings Tunnel, Hoffman, and Big Clifty together.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Clifty Falls State Park, Madison — enter from State Road 62 or State Road 56 gates
- Parking
- Lots inside the park near the trailheads and the Clifty Inn
- Road
- Paved park roads
- Hike
- 6.2 mi round trip, 997 ft of climb (Moderately challenging — the full three-falls loop; Trail 2 alone is billed as Indiana's most rugged)
- Heads up
- Clifty Inn and a 169-site campground are inside the park if you want to make a weekend of the gorge.
When to go
December through June for real flow — these are rain-fed limestone-gorge falls that thin to a trickle in late summer.
Winter ice columns here are the park's best-kept secret.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- $7 per vehicle Indiana plates, $15 out-of-state, at the gate
- Dogs
- Leashed, six feet maximum
- Camping
- 106 electric and 63 non-electric sites in the park
- Warnings
- The areas above and below all waterfalls are always off limits — a park rule, and around here a load-bearing one. Brough's Tunnel is closed indefinitely (rockslide risk) plus a bat closure every November-April.
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 Tunnel Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Planning a visit? We want your photo.
Tunnel Falls doesn't have a photo yet. If you make the trip, send one to hello@plungeworthy.com and we'll publish it here with credit to you.
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.
Common questions
How tall is Tunnel Falls?
Tunnel Falls drops about 83 feet, in Indiana.
Where is Tunnel Falls?
Tunnel Falls is a waterfall in Indiana, at 38.7612, -85.42829.
Is Tunnel Falls worth visiting?
Worth the drive — Plungeworthy rates it 7.6/10.
Gear for the trip
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