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Clifty Falls State Park facts for kids

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Clifty Falls State Park
Clifty Falls at Clifty Falls State Park.JPG
Clifty Falls from the Overlook
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Location Jefferson County, Indiana, USA
Nearest city Madison, Indiana
Area 1,416 acres (573 ha)
Created 1920
Operated by Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Visitors 425,506 (in 2003-2004)

Clifty Falls State Park is a cool state park in Indiana, USA. It covers about 1,416 acres (573 ha) (that's like 1,000 football fields!). You can find it in Jefferson County, not too far from Louisville, Kentucky.

The park was created on October 27, 1920. People from Madison, Indiana worked hard for a year to get the land. They then gave about 570 acres (230 ha) of it to the state of Indiana. This was a big step in starting the park system in Indiana. Clifty Falls was one of the first parks to have special nature programs for visitors.

Inside the park, you'll find Clifty Creek and Little Clifty Creek. There's also a deep canyon where the sun only shines brightly around midday. The park has many awesome nature trails, especially those that lead to the waterfalls. If you want to stay overnight, you can sleep at the Clifty Inn or camp out in the park's campground.

Amazing Canyons and Waterfalls

Clifty Falls State Park is famous for its deep canyons and beautiful waterfalls.

Clifty Creek Canyon

The main canyon, called Clifty Creek Canyon, runs all the way through the park from north to south. At the top, the canyon rim is about 800 feet (240 m) above sea level. It then drops down to the Ohio River valley, which is about 500 feet (150 m) above sea level. The creek itself flows down before plunging over the waterfalls and continuing to the Ohio River. Two other big canyons, Deans Branch and Hoffman Branch, also join Clifty Creek Canyon.

Spectacular Waterfalls

The park is named after the amazing waterfalls you can see here!

  • Big Clifty Falls is about 60 feet (18 m) tall.
  • Little Clifty Falls is also about 60 feet (18 m) tall.
  • Hoffman Falls drops about 78 feet (24 m).
  • Tunnel Falls is the tallest at about 83 feet (25 m).

Exciting Trails to Explore

Clifty Falls State Park has ten different trails for you to explore. They range from easy walks to very challenging hikes.

Trail Difficulty

The trails are rated by how hard they are:

  • Easy
  • Moderate
  • Rugged
  • Very Rugged

Trail two is the only "very rugged" trail. It's actually known as the most challenging trail in all of Indiana! Because of falling rocks, part of this trail is closed for safety. There are also old steps that used to lead down to the falls, but they are blocked off now. Don't worry, you can still get great views of the falls from special overlooks carved into the canyon side.

Images for kids

  • View of the Ohio River from Clifty Inn, Madison, Indiana

    View of the Ohio River from Clifty Inn in the southern part of the park

  • Tunnel Falls(Clifty Falls SP)

    Tunnel Falls from the Tunnel Falls Trail

  • The Tunnel (south end)

    The Tunnel is an abandoned Railroad Tunnel that was never completed. It is closed to the public from November 1 to April 30 to protect hibernating bats from the White-Nosed Bat Syndrome.

  • The Tunnel Trail

    The Tunnel Trail, like most trails, runs along the sides of the valley.

  • Clifty Falls State Park - Stierch

    A view inside Clifty Falls State Park.

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