Clifty Falls State Park — Attraction in Madison

I’m writing the review that I always look for when I’m checking out campgrounds, so buckle up:

This was our second time camping here, both times the campground was incredibly quiet (in a good way). Everyone was respectful and enjoyed nature. Check in/out time is 2pm. There is a one time $7 entrance fee when you first arrive and the pool is an additional charge as well.

Cell coverage for verizon is basically nonexistent at the campground. Some random spots of coverage out on the trails to send a simple text, but not enough to send a picture.

They just built a new bathroom/shower house. It is great and is the cleanest campground bathroom I’ve ever seen. Even smelled clean every time you walked in! The showers are private, individual stalls with doors. They do turn off automatically after 10 seconds, which isn’t an issue but does make it difficult to wash your hair if you have a lot of it (like I do.)

Park staff was friendly and helpful.

Most campsites on the outer road around the campground have varying time frames of sun and shade. If you pick one of the center sites in the middle of the loops, expect a more full sun experience with less trees.

We camp here mainly for the beautiful hiking trails that are unlike anything we have at home in Ohio. They vary from along the top of the cliff, to fields and down into the river bed, with multiple waterfalls and a bat cave/tunnel (you can enter the tunnel seasonally but will definitely need a light). Most trails here are rugged, some even a little dangerous but if you are an adrenaline seeker-those are the ones you want to do. The first of the trail heads are a quarter mile from the campground. The trails can be confusing because they connect/turn into other trails (I.e. trial 4 turns into 5) and sometimes it’s hard to tell which trail you are on. If you want great views and a great experience, and are a semi experienced hiker- I would recommend trying the more rugged ones. Expect a TON of elevation gain.

Along the trail head parking is also a 2 mile paved hike/bike trail for those who want some cross training or a more even terrain- This is still a gorgeous walk even...

Make sure to have a park map with you, have offline maps downloaded and refer to the All Trails map. I used all of these while hiking the trail with my wife. 99% of this route was dry, the creeks were low and basic walking shoes with good tread will be good. Like other reviews the trails in some areas are not marked, this is where I used all the maps to stay to the route. The route on all trails is not correct. If you look at a park map you will see an area called “ladder” whoever made this map hiked off the route to the road and back around to another area. Speaking of the “ladder”. I was concerned about this since I had my dog. (She is a mix breed around 50lbs). There is a nice rock near the ladder that you can get on. I climbed down the ladder and up on the rock, picked her up and jumped off the rock (about 2’) I have included photos of the ladder. It is approximately 16’ in length, at about a 30 degree angle with 4x4’s for the rungs. We took our time and spent a total of 6.5 hours, took multiple breaks and t lunch at one of the parks. The total distanced walked was 7.46 miles. I will say it is not easy but I feel most people who take their time will be fine. I would not recommend taking children on the entire route as some of the paths that we walked on were narrow and at the cliff edge with a steep drop offs. We did go into the Tunnel about 100-150’ but turned around due to water. If you decide to go all the way into the tunnel bring a pair of boots that can handle the water/muck.

Lastly plan ahead and watch the weather. Take a daypack with hydration bladder for water, couple bottles of sports drinks and snacks, as well as items for animal companions. I will recommend either a walking stick or trekking pole, One will do and will help in areas to climb over the rocks.

This is not recommended for those with foot, leg or...

I stayed at the Inn for a couple days and enjoyed my stay very much. The Inn itself is very nice and is one of the most modern and updated Indiana state park inns I have stayed in.

The Clifty Falls Inn has a new wing with river views of the Ohio River and I stayed in one of these. They were $20 more if memory serves me. It was well worth the money. The uppermost floor has a little balcony, the bottom level has a little porch and the two levels in between have sliding glass doors with a railing immediately on the other side. I had the last and I was very happy with my view, especially at first light when the fog covered the river. It was clean and had enough ameneties for me. I was pleased with the food in the inn and would recommend it. It wasn't gourmet, but I wasn't expecting that. The staff in the Inn were universally courteous and helpful.

The park itself has too few easy or moderate trails. I went in October and the temperature was still in the high 80's or low 90's and hiking up and down those ravines in that heat and humidity was difficult - especially in my fifties. I mainly walked the roads, to be frank and that was pleasant. The falls were difficult to reach without serious hiking - all except the biggest, Clifty Falls. There is a small nature center which is too small for my liking, but still worth going through.

Clifty Falls is a very nice park with an excellent inn. Only a few miles away in Madison is the Lanier Mansion which is also owned and operated by the state and worth a visit. The only negative is the ever-present sight of the smoke stacks of the nearby power plant. No, you can't smell anything, or anything of that nature...but they're always there if you're looking in that direction. I just...