CLICK ON EACH PHOTO TO ENLARGEFor years, I have heard wonderful stories of the
Clifty Falls State Park located in the southeastern part of Indiana along the Ohio River. Ed and I talked often of going but it never seemed to "happen."
Well, recently, I have been in great need of some mental "R and R" to recharge my creative "juices." What I wanted was a clean, yet remote, primitive campground where we could pitch a tent and "detox" ourselves with Mother Nature. The natural amenities of this park not only met expectations but also exceeded them beyond belief.
When we learned of how wonderful the weather was to be this weekend, we knew our time had come to getaway. We left early on Friday morning and drove the two hours to the park. Anticipating a possible sell-out for the nice weekend, we picked out our campground immediately and pitched our little two-person tent before setting off for some serious hiking.
WARNING!
THE EVENT PLANNER AND TRAVEL CRITIC IS NOW KICKING IN!HIKING:
Most of the trails are modest to extremely rugged. Only a couple of trails are available to allow you to see Big Clifty Falls and Little Clifty Falls as well as Tunnel Falls without too much effort. Anything else, you want to be in moderately good shape and be prepared to take your time. The scenery is beyond words and if you can manage to hike down to Clifty Creek, you are in for some spectacular scenery.
CAMPING: The Park features two camping areas: one (A) with full individual electric, water, fire-ring, and dump stations with shared shower facilities and the other (C) is primitive with shared water and vaulted (non-flush) toilet facilities only. We stayed in the primitive area where each site had a fire-ring and was well designed for privacy. The grounds are beautiful and immaculately maintained. At night, we were "deafened" with the orchestral sounds of the insects singing and the same was true in the morning when the birds performed. Honestly, we couldn't have purchased a CD with as beautiful sounds as what we heard. It was amazing.
Truly, these campgrounds are perfect for singles, couples, and families and are perfectly designed to accommodate all these groups. Children can safely ride their bikes on the camp drives and the playgrounds were so attractive, I wanted to play on them. The vaulted restrooms were very well maintained but always bring your own toilet paper as they always seem to run out.
Note: 
Ed and I took our map and highlighted the campsite numbers of what we determined to be the best camp sites in both areas. Click on this picture to download and print. The yellow highlighted sites are the ones we recommend and those yellow sites with "stars" over them are the best! If you're unable to print this map, email us at lerdmann@sbcglobal and I'll send a .pdf version. This map also comes in handy when placing your online or telephone reservation or if you wait to register upon arrival.
NOTE FOR 2009 - Although their online reservation page indicates that they are open for camping year-round, online reservations may be made for the dates of March 1 through August 27, 2009. Go to this
website - read the page - click "Start" at the bottom. When the second page opens, select "Clifty Falls" among the options and go from there.
OTHER INFO:
PARK POOL: The park has a very large pool available for a minimal charge per person. There are sections for small children, the general "masses", and a diving area, and there is very neat water slide. Again, everything is clean! I had to look hard for the slightest cigarette butt anywhere in the park! AND, there is a walking trail that connects the campground directly to the pool so you don't have to drive.
CLIFTY FALLS INN: If camping is not your thing, their new remodeled Inn is perfect! It sits on the bluff overlooking the City of Madison, Indiana and the Ohio River. They have their own pool for guests of the Inn and a full dining room that serves incredible food. I stopped in and talked with the desk staff about the facility and was very impressed. They are open year-round and also cater to companies for meetings and small to midlevel events.
MADISON, INDIANA: Don't forget to allocate two to three hours to visit the historical rivertown of Madison, Indiana that is only one mile away. Your park pass will allow you in-and-out privileges so you won't have to pay to return. This town hosts a couple of wineries (love those tastings!), a railroad museum, and loads of varying scaled restaurants and antique stores. Drive around the historical section to see the beautiful houses that have been maintained. I was VERY impressed in that this town has NOT been spoiled with tourism but has graciously allowed it to co-exist with the day-to-day activities of real town activities. The ambience of the city is charming yet comfortable.
QUESTIONS?If you are considering a get-away to this beautiful location and have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at lerdmann@sbcglobal.net. I would love to help you enjoy the same wonderful experience as we did.
Safe travels!
Mark your calendars for August 19 or September 16 - OR BOTH! These are the last two days that the Carthage, Knightstown and Shirley Railroad has scheduled train robberies this year.
