Clifty Falls State Park

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  I go bike riding in this park several times a week. The roads are gently rolling and the pavement is smooth. Traffic is usually sparse and drivers are normally respectful of walkers and bike riders on the road. No bikes are permitted on the trails. That would be suicide.  
  The naturalist there is a walking fountain of interesting facts about the real world of nature. He is a state treasure, hope he doesn't retire.

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  Posted on 03.03.13 Bill L.

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  These trails are not for the faint of heart.  
  
  My wife, a friend, our Golden Doodle Audrey and I embarked on a few of the trails in Clifty Falls last weekend and I was thrilled!  Getting to Clifty is very straight-forward and finding a trail-head is easy enough with parking lots adjacent to most.  The paths are not your typical well-beaten roads, however.  Many are quite rugged and difficult to traverse.  It will give you quite a workout and even my intrepid Doodle was exhausted by the end of the day.  She really, really didn't want to get out of bed the next morning.
  
  Our visit was in early June on a very temperate, comfortable day.  The paths that go along the creek make it much more enjoyable on warm days since the temperature drops significantly down near the water.  The falls are beautiful and lead to lovely babbling brooks and shallow tributaries.  
  
  Strap on your hiking boots, fill up your Camel Back and get out there and enjoy Clifty Falls!

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  Posted on 06.10.12 Kyle S.

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  The trails at Clifty Falls are mostly rated Rugged or Very Rugged.  There are only two that are Moderate.  My husband had to try the Very Rugged #2 since I asked him not to.  He said it WAS rugged and wandered back and forth as part of it was closed due to a flooded stream. It wandered between trails 1 and 3.  He loved it.
  
  As all Indiana state parks, it was extremely well organized.  If you can, enter off Route 56.  The Inn is less than a mile from the south entrance.  We entered from the north off of Route 62 at night and it is over 4 miles to the Inn.  The roads are very twisty but it is a scenic road, even in the winter.
  
  It is hard to get lost with the excellent signage.  There is a nature center, closed in the winter of course.
  
  The trees are mostly deciduous so there isn't much green in the winter but Clifty Falls does have a stark beauty.  Don't miss this state park - one of the most impressive in the Indiana system.

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  Posted on 01.11.12 Kay J.

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  My first experience at camp ground camping. Probably doesn't count since I am staying in a fancy Winnebago. Nothing like waking up in the morning to birds singing and dogs barking. I so much appreciate these people bringing their dogs. Other helpful tidbits: probably not a good idea to go to the bath house with a pink towel. Just sayin.....
  
  And why is it that guys showers don't have curtains but girls do?
  
  Went down to the lodge the next day.  It has been completely remodeled.  Very nicely done

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  Posted on 09.11.11 CK A.

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  Nice state park with well priced rooms. We like the ones with a patio outside and a view of the river. . Warning. Youe will see electric wires and the power plant. But is you are " selectively" choosy, this is a nice place. And Madison is a charming town.

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  Posted on 05.22.11 Kathryn W.

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  What an absolutely amazing, beautiful state park!
  
  Yesterday, the Indianapolis Hiking Club had 2 hikes scheduled - a 5-6 mile morning hike and a 5-6 mile afternoon hike.  
  
  The morning group consisted of 22 hikers.  The morning hike ended up being about 6 miles with an elevation gain of around 600 feet.  Pretty tame but absolutely beautiful with the leaves changing color...but the water fall was only a trickle due to the drought this year.
  
  After lunch at the Clifty Inn, the afternoon hike had 18 hikers.  Due to some confusion with the trail markers, we ended up going 8 miles rather than 6, but this was 'real' hiking!  We had an elevation gain of about 1500 feet and one definitely had to pay attention to where one put their feet as we traversed creek beds and narrow trails with sharp dropoffs.  Great mental workout as well as physical.
  
  Our hike leader, Jim, did a fantastic job of leading us and taking care of hikers with more limited abilities.  My only 'complaint' is that the state park service should do a better job of marking the trails as they can be very confusing at times.  But with the experienced hikers in the group, we found our way with very little back tracking.
  
  The Indianapolis Hiking Club has been around for 53 years and the hikers in the Club range in age up into their 90s!  Many of my hiking companions yesterday are old enough to be my parents, but they keep on truckin'...kudos to them and their active life style!
  
  Although it took a little over 2 hours to get to Clifty Falls State Park from Indianapolis, this state park is located in southern Indiana, it was well worth the time it took to get there and I definitely plan on coming back here before Fall is over...next time I'll remember to bring my camera.

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  Posted on 10.17.10 Diane E.

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  When I first visited HC, my mom and I had reservations at some random motel in uptown Madison.  When the lady at the college admissions office found that out, she quickly referred us to Clifty.  She even offered to help us book a room there.  We were like, hrmmm, either Clifty is really good or our motel is really shady.  It was both!  
  Clifty is cheap (well compared to Hawaii hotels) and their staff is really friendly.  The rooms were clean and had a homey feel to them.  The restaurant in the hotel had cheap food it was good too :).  They had a station for free coffee or tea in the middle of the night.  They even had games in their lounge area.  Nice views from the park.  Also, I stayed here and camped.  That experience was fun too.
  The whole hiking thing was fun at the park too!  We got to see the falls once.  Nice short hike.  Lots of good photog opportunities!

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  Posted on 02.28.10 Jerrene T.

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  Clifty falls is a great little park. It is located adjacent to Historic Madison which is big on charm. It is a quiet park that appears to be expertly maintained with plenty of amenities for all levels of hikers, campers and other enthusiasts alike.

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  Posted on 07.19.09 Zack F.

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