Exploring Cataract Falls in Indiana

Upper Cataract Falls in Indiana

On a road trip to St. Louis, driving along I-70, I saw a sign for Cataract Falls. I love exploring waterfalls especially one that is designated the largest waterfall in Indiana. The falls located in Lieber State Recreation Area are about an hour west of Indianapolis off of State Road 42.

Upper Cataract Falls in Indiana

Covered Bridge at Cataract Falls in Indiana

When you enter the park, you see a beautiful red wooden bridge. This covered bridge was built in 1876 and is one of only six Smith Truss bridges left in Indiana. There are picnic tables inside the bridge for you to relax and enjoy your afternoon here in the park.

Upper Cataract Falls

Upper Cataract Falls in Indiana

There are two sets of waterfalls on Mill Creek, the Upper and Lower Cataract Falls. The Upper Cataract Falls have an excellent viewing area to see the 45ft drop of water. For the more adventurous, there are trails down to the water, and you can explore right up to stick your hand in the water.

Kayla exploring Upper Cataract Falls in Indiana

Kayla at Upper Cataract FallsUpper Cataract Falls in IndianaUpper Cataract Falls close-up with slow shutter speed

Once you are finished checking out the upper falls, there is a short drive to the parking lot for the lower falls. The drive was one of my highlights in this park. It is a 1-mile drive along a twisty and winding road through some beautiful trees. To my niece’s chagrin, I was channeling my inner Earnhardt through this ride.

Lower Cataract Falls

For being only a 30ft drop, these waterfalls are impressive to see how over time they have carved their path through the rock. The path walking to these falls were a bit muddy so, we took extra care exploring them. I did see a couple sitting on the other side of the falls toward the top that must have walked across. The water seemed to be on the light side since it was the end of November when we stopped here.

Lower Cataract Falls in Indiana

Selfie view of Lower Cataract Falls in Indiana

I was pretty happy to find this hidden gem seemingly in the middle of nowhere of Indiana. It wasn’t as easy to find as I would be expecting of a state-sponsored park. They definitely need to add more signage to help you find the direct route to the waterfalls once you get off of I-70. Once you arrive at the falls though it is a fabulous way to spend an afternoon communing with nature. Especially if you love waterfalls as much as I do!

Have you found some great waterfalls in your state? Go ahead and share them with me. I would love to add more to my list that I need to visit.

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