Tunnel Falls Trail

The Tunnel Falls Trail leads to Hoffman Falls, one of Clifty Falls State Park's most intimate waterfall experiences, where a behind-the-falls ledge allows hikers to stand in a shallow cave and look out through the falling water into the canyon beyond. The falls drop approximately 60 feet over a curved dolomite lip that has been undercut by the persistent action of plunge-pool erosion, creating a deep recess behind the waterfall curtain. The sensation of standing behind a substantial waterfall — surrounded by the roar and spray — is among the most memorable experiences in the Indiana state park system. The trail descends into the Clifty Creek canyon via a series of switchbacks through mixed hardwood forest before reaching the canyon floor. The approach to the behind-the-falls alcove requires scrambling over wet, mossy rocks and accepting significant water spray — waterproof footwear and a change of clothes are recommended during high water periods. The canyon walls on this section of Clifty Creek show excellent fossil beds in the Silurian limestone, with intact coral and brachiopod assemblages visible in weathered rock faces. The trail name references a historic railroad tunnel nearby, no longer in use, which can be seen from the canyon rim on the return hike.