Classy Clifty In Madison, Indiana

I debated in my mind whether to lift my pinky finger as I drank coffee from the fine china cup in my hand. Gazing out the window of the dining room, I could see down the hill the ribbon form of the Ohio River wrapping Indiana’s outskirts in a nice little picturesque package. Trees covered the landscape, but peering through now and then in the distance were the occasional church steeple or courthouse dome from Madison down by the shoreline. Nostalgia ran in my heart about as thick as the river itself. I had been transported to a simpler time, and hoped the future wouldn’t catch up with me.
 
Clifty Falls State Park had been on the docket for a couple years ever since I heard local lore boasting 22 waterfalls. I had to see if it even came close. An opportunity arose when I was scheduled for a trade show in Louisville, which gave me reason to sneak up to Madison and spend the rest of my weekend there.

As soon as I found the park, I knew I had made the right decision. A thick tree-lined road led to the historical Clifty Inn, which was totally renovated within the last decade. Cast iron bed stands! Quilts on the bed! Wooden blinds on the windows! Cast iron…in the bathroom! Luxury at the lodge. And…the view! I hadn’t even ventured to the falls before I had my money’s worth. A steak dinner while I texted friends of Indiana’s grandeur, watching a barge run its course northward.

After dinner and several sugar biscuits with apple butter, I finished my coffee, (put my pinky finger back into place) and took off to scout the falls. I had a young lady friend coming up from Louisville the next day and wanted to scope out the most scenic view for the best first impression. Four falls, all over 50 feet high, parking and boardwalks to all four. One of the easiest set of falls I’ve ever been to. Hoffman and Tunnel were as tranquil as mid May could promise, though with the rain constant that day I had hoped for a stronger showing. Big Clifty, no less proved to give the same modest performance. Out of the four, the underdog “Little Clifty” stole the show and gave the best promise for a “wow” from my anticipated date. Darkness descended as I watched a couple of whitetail deer jump up on two legs in the distance to fetch acorns from a tree. I drove back to the room and settled into bed to watch The Bucket List while checking off my own.

Morning and more rain in Madison. After two plates worth of breakfast, I asked the waitress if Madison was worth driving down to. She had been born and raised there. Her eyes got as big as my pancakes. “Yes, oh yes!” she gasped. I drove from the park to the riverfront and spent the next two hours walking in a time warp. Madison, Indiana is 1850’s all over again. It is Gatlinburg without the Gatlinburg. Coffee shops and souvenir shops and quaint restaurants with tables under sidewalk shade tree. Multiple American flags waving hello. A lesson in architecture. A true river town renovated, restored, and ready for a visit. Even without the park, a stop overnight in Madison would be worth the drive from anywhere. The only other towns I’ve seen that compare are towns westward. Boulder, Cody, Keystone…Madison is truly an eastern US anomaly with exception of course to the eastern seaboard.

My rainy walk complete, I drove back to the park and awaited my date. She came, and I took her straight to Little Clifty, still putting on a big show. Three more waterfalls later and we were back in Madison enjoying the culture amid postcard view.

Leaving via the Ohio River bridge the next morning, I knew as soon as I’d crossed that part of my need for a getaway would be forever satisfied with a return trip to the Clifty Falls and Madison, Indiana.