United States
Indiana (IN)
Madison
Things to Do in Madison
Clifty Falls State Park

Clifty Falls State Park, Madison: Address, Phone Number, Clifty Falls State Park Reviews: 4.5/5

See all things to do

Clifty Falls State Park

See all things to do
See all things to do
Clifty Falls State Park
4.5
656
#3 of 27 things to do in Madison
State Parks
Read more
Write a review
About
This scenic area, known for its hiking, has beautiful waterfalls and a canyon.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Full view
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
64 within 3 miles
Brittany’s Brick Oven Pizza
23
0.6 mi$ • Italian • Pizza • Vegetarian Friendly
Diego's Mexican Grill
23
0.8 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Southwestern • Vegetarian Friendly
Arby's
8
0.8 miAmerican
Sweet Kuppz
9
0.8 mi$$ - $$$ • Cafe
Clifty Inn
117
1.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Harry's Stone Grill
164
1.4 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Steakhouse • Bar
Papa Johns Pizza
6
1.3 miPizza
McDonald's
1
1.3 mi
Dairy Queen (Treat)
6
1.4 miDessert • Cafe
Sushi Bar
18
1.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Japanese • Sushi • Asian
See all
Attractions
24 within 6 miles
Lanier Mansion State Historic Site
240
2.5 miHistoric Sites
Historic District
291
2.8 miHistoric Sites
Lanthier Winery & Distillery
162
2.4 miWineries & Vineyards
History Center
36
2.4 miHistory Museums
Antique Mall
35
2.3 miAntique Shops • Shopping Malls
Madison Railroad Station Museum
46
2.4 miSpeciality Museums
Broadway Fountain
20
2.5 miHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Thomas Family Winery
89
2.8 miWineries & Vineyards
Riverwest Antique Mall
15
2 miAntique Shops • Shopping Malls
Art On Main
18
2.6 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
See all
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
656 reviews
Excellent
386
Very good
205
Average
47
Poor
7
Terrible
11
melissa w
Cincinnati, OH1,030 contributions
Enjoyable State Park
All sites have a picnic table and fire ring. However, many of the picnic tables are very short which is fine as long as you have a small group or family. The fire rings are very nice and have a good grill grate. Bathrooms/showers were typical: moderately clean with luke cold water. Tent sites were decent (we were pleased with site 117). Some offer a little more privacy than others with brush growth and trees. RV sites offered less privacy but I was pleased with the separation between the tent and RV sections of the campground. The wood they sold was great and they also have ice for sale. The trails were crazy packed the second weekend in June so we didn't do much hiking (however, we've hiked the entire park trail system in the past and really enjoy it). The park is relatively flat so biking is a fun activity. They charge you to enter the park an additional 7-9$ even if you already reserved camping. A huge bonus is Madison, Indiana nearby (4.5 miles away) which has a couple of wineries (and restaurants) and you can also walk along the Ohio River. Overall, I would tent camp here again.
Written June 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gazooby
Bloomington, IN425 contributions
Great couple of days but wish people would pop the masks on when passing other hikers.
This has been on my to-do list forever, and I am glad we finally made it. The waterfalls are lovely. There are about a dozen hiking options in a fairly compact area. That means you can do more than one trail in a day. But be forewarned that some of these are possibly the steepest trails in the state, meaning you will make up in effort what you don't accomplish in distance. For my spouse and I, who are solid amateur hikers with ageing knees, we created a loop of Trails 7>6>2>8 which allowed us to do a loop rather than in-an-out, and park just once at the North Lot. It took us on both sides of the canyon, past multiple falls, and was lots of fun. HELPFUL TIP: Go to the Nature Center if you need help picking a trail. The rangers there knew the terrain. The receptionists at the Clifty Inn do not know the trails. GENERAL PLEA: Please wear your masks when you are within six feet of others on the trail (basically means you should pop the mask on whenever you pass somebody!!).
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
shrngoss
Indianapolis, IN116 contributions
Clifty Falls State Park is one of our favorites!
We kind of spur of the moment decided to get away for a couple days so we took advantage of the BOGO rooms at the Clifty Inn. Not much activity because of the weather but everything was very clean and comfortable. Because of the weather we couldn't do much outdoors. The restaurant was only available for to go items so that was kind of a bummer. We had taken breakfast food with us and there are plenty of good food options downtown. A really relaxing, laid back two day after a three hour trip from Indianapolis. The best road the whole trip were after we got in the park. Thank you DNR.
Written February 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Cindy B
Lowell, IN4 contributions
Fantastic views
Couples
We really enjoyed this park. There is a 7$ gate fee for Indiana residence, and 9$ for non resident. NBD, most state parks have entrance fees. The rugged hikes were not really rugged at all, lots of stairs, but the views worth the steps. Cant wait to come back in the spring when the waterfalls are flowing better.
Written October 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Workingindymom
Indianapolis, IN131 contributions
Cool, Uncrowded Hiking in Gorgeous Hardwood Forest
Clifty Falls offers a very nice array of day hikes suited for reasonably fit to very fit folks. We hiked on 3 different trails for a total of 2 1/2 hours of hiking with our 2 dogs on leashes. We plan on returning, perhaps in the fall, to tackle the longer hikes. Even though we hiked from 11-2:00 and it was in the mid-80's and humid, it was comfortable hiking through the forest as the trails were almost 100% shaded. Bring lots of water and lunch as the only place to eat in the park is at the lodge. The south entrance was also closed making it impractical to zip into Madison for lunch. Also, be prepared to pack out all your garbage: there are no garbage cans in the park.
Written August 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
CAR
6 contributions
great Inn, rugged trails
We love staying at the Clifty Falls Inn. The rooms are updated, with very comfortable beds, microwave and frig so you can bring some of your meals. The breakfast in the dinning room is standard but quite good and affordable.

It is a bit disconcerting to look out and see that huge coal smoke stack. Gosh, what's in the air anyway? Benzine?

We are hikers and Clifty has some of the most rugged trails, if not THE most rugged trails of any of our state parks. You aren't rock climbing, but you are walking on rocks and gravel, so going down can be treacherous, especially if it has rained. One of us slipped and fell right on a knee. And we are all in shape. It is easy to get yourself in trouble if you are thinking you'll just go down a trail for an hour or so. You have to come back up.

If you sprain an ankle, I would not know how they'd get you out. Wear sturdy hiking boots, not sneakers or even running shoes.

We've seen people going down trails in flip flops. NOT a good idea.

I don't think dogs should be allowed on the trails. I like dogs but they get in the way, easily distracted and may pull you down if they want to go after something. When you are trying to stay balanced, holding a dog leash is dangerous. We were on a trail when two families with three dogs were coming down. The dogs were all barking and lunging at each other, and with the kids trying to get out of the way. Really idiotic to think your dog has to go with you everywhere.
Written October 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Itinerant_Foodies
Greensboro, NC587 contributions
Hike to the falls, not just Big/Little Clifty
Our second visit, this time camping for three nights so that we could explore the park and nearby town of Madison. The campground is good but quite open so it's easy to see all hundred-or-so campers nearly at the same time. Lucky for us we stayed through Sunday so the campground had mostly cleared out by the afternoon and was nice and peaceful. We had a spot (26) on the outside edge of the campground road which was good (and shady) but the spot had a severe slope to it making it difficult to level the RV and making some of the spot not very usable for sitting and relaxing. The hiking trails however, were quite nice and we explored several that led to various falls, which were running pretty well after a good rain the day before. Highly recommended if you're in the area.
Written April 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Boliermaker
9 contributions
Two inch rain
It rained two inches the night before we were here and the four waterfalls were really running big time. Just beautiful for this time of year. Great view of Clifty Falls with only about a 100 yard walk from parking lot that is wheel chair accessible. Other views take some stair climbing.
Written September 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
jgbtravels
Louisville, KY2,770 contributions
Peaceful and picturesque.
Couples
We have come to appreciate Clifty Falls State Park the last few years as a peaceful and enjoyable way to spend time outdoors. The spring and fall are probably the best times to visit as the weather is much more pleasant. Clifty Falls and Little Clifty Falls are generally the the highlights of this park with paths that loop around the falls. Just be careful when it’s wet as the paths become slippery and watch out for rocks and roots that may trip you up. After a day of hiking and enjoying the scenery do visit nearby Madison, Indiana with its quaint shops and restaurants plus the historic homes/mansions.
Written May 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Carley E
2 contributions
See multiple waterfalls
Especially after a good rainfall, Clifty Falls State Park is the perfect place for an easy hike to see multiple waterfalls. Situated above the Ohio River just outside Madison, this state park is easy to get in and out of in that it has two entrances/exits, one atop the hill and one below. One of my favorite places to visit in the Madison area.
Written June 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 655
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Frequently Asked Questions about Clifty Falls State Park