Looking for a fun and scenic DIY tour of Indiana? Here’s where to chase some of the prettiest waterfalls in the state.
Near Huntington, Salamonie River State Forest’s [NE] Three Falls trail accesses several small falls in close proximity. A walk on the paved Whitewater Gorge Trail in Richmond leads to the landmark Thistlethwaite Falls [EC]. Keep an eye out for fossils along the bank; the whole area sits on what was once a thriving inland sea millions of years ago.
Nine miles east of Columbus in a 44-acre nature preserve, Anderson Falls [UP] wows with a wide breadth of water cascading over a limestone ledge, especially scenic when framed by fall foliage. Head west to experience the spectacular Williamsport Falls [WV] fed by the Fall Branch of the Wabash River; at a drop of 90 feet, it’s the tallest waterfall in Indiana.
A little further south, waterfalls punctuate several of the Turkey Run State Park [WC] hiking trails through deep valleys surrounded by sandstone cliffs. (The Punch Bowl is particularly picturesque.)The largest waterfall in the state by volume, Cataract Falls [SW] on Mill Creek in the Lieber State Recreation Area encompasses upper and lower falls separated by a mile in between. Hikers can find a much gentler bucolic flow skirting the trails of McCormick Creek State Park [SW] near Spencer.
The rolling topography of southern Indiana lends itself nicely to waterfall formations worth admiring, particularly the Cave River Valley Natural Area [SC] near Campbellsburg, and the Yellow Birch Ravine Nature Preserve [SC] and Hemlock Cliffs [SC], both within the Hoosier National Forest. On the Ohio River banks, the Falls of the Ohio State Park [SE] is prime stomping ground to explore one of the largest exposed Devonian-era fossil beds in the world with views of the Louisville skyline in the background.
The breathtaking Chain Mill Falls [SE] near Hanover make a fantastic prelude to Madison’s Clifty Falls [SE] magnificent collection of waterfalls within the state park of the same name. A hidden gem, the Rock Rest Falls at Calli Nature Preserve [SE] just outside North Vernon fly a little more under the radar.
