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Coordinates: 38°16′32″N 85°45′49″W / 38.27556°N 85.76361°W / 38.27556; -85.76361
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{{short description|State park in Indiana, United States}}
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{{Infobox Protected area
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
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| name = Falls of the Ohio State Park, Indiana, USA
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{{Infobox protected area
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| name = Falls of the Ohio State Park
| iucn_category = III
| iucn_category = III
| map = Indiana Locator Map.PNG
| map = USA Indiana
| map_width = 200
| map_caption = Map of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Indiana]] showing the location of Falls of the Ohio State Park
| map_caption = Map of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Indiana]] showing the location of Falls of the Ohio State Park
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| location = [[Clark County, Indiana|Clark County]], [[Indiana]], US
| locator_x = 162
| locator_y = 235
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| location = [[Clark County, Indiana|Clark County]], [[Indiana]], [[United States|USA]]
| nearest_city = [[Clarksville, Indiana]]
| nearest_city = [[Clarksville, Indiana]]
| coordinates = {{coord|38|16|32|N|85|45|49|W|region:US-IN|display=inline, title}}
| lat_d = 38
| lat_m = 16
| area_acre = 165
| lat_s = 32
| lat_NS = N
| long_d = 85
| long_m = 45
| long_s = 49
| long_EW = W
| area = {{convert|165|acre|km2|2}}
| established = 1990
| established = 1990
| visitation_num = 327,092
| visitation_num = 158,680
| visitation_year = 2003-2004
| visitation_year = 2018–2019<
| visitation_ref = <ref name="Fiscal Year Visits">{{cite web |title=2018 / 2019 Estimated Fiscal Year Visits for Indiana State Parks ~ Alphabetical |publisher=Indiana Department of Natural Resources |url=https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/files/sp-2018-19-State-Park-Visitation.pdf |access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
| governing_body = [[Indiana Department of Natural Resources]]
| governing_body = [[Indiana Department of Natural Resources]]
}}
}}
'''Falls of the Ohio State Park''' is a [[state park]] in the U.S. state of [[Indiana]]. It is located on the banks of the [[Ohio River]] at [[Clarksville, Indiana]], across from [[Louisville, Kentucky]]. The park is part of the [[Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area]]. The exposed [[fossil]] beds of the [[Jeffersonville Limestone]] dated from the [[Devonian]] period are the main feature of the park, attracting about 160,000 visitors annually.<ref name="Fiscal Year Visits"/> The Falls was the site where Lewis and Clark met for the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]] at [[George Rogers Clark]]'s cabin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.in.gov/dnr/lewis-clark/falls/ |title=Indiana Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission |publisher=In.gov |access-date=2013-02-20 |archive-date=February 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217165128/http://www.in.gov/dnr/lewis-clark/falls/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lewisandclarkinkentucky.org/places/falls.shtml |title=Kentucky places : Louisville and the Falls of the Ohio |publisher=Lewis and Clark in Kentucky |access-date=2013-02-20 |archive-date=February 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210132310/http://www.lewisandclarkinkentucky.org/places/falls.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=1890 |title=At the Falls of the Ohio |publisher=Lewis-clark.org |access-date=2013-02-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/lewisandclark/ocs.htm |title=Old Clarksville Site-Lewis and Clark Expedition: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary |publisher=Nps.gov |access-date=2013-02-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.in.gov/history/2584.htm |title=IHB: Lewis and Clark-Indiana connections - Focus |publisher=In.gov |date=2009-06-16 |access-date=2013-02-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.army.mil/LC/The%20Mission/Expedition/page_4.htm |title=Part 4: Ohio River - Lewis and Clark - Corps of Discovery - U.S. Army Center of Military History |publisher=History.army.mil |access-date=2013-02-20 |archive-date=2015-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123071555/http://www.history.army.mil/LC/The%20Mission/Expedition/page_4.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
'''Falls of the Ohio State Park''' is a [[state park]] in [[Indiana]]. It is located on the banks of the [[Ohio River]] at [[Clarksville, Indiana]], across from [[Louisville, Kentucky]].


The park is part of the [[Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area]]. The main feature of the park is the exposed [[fossil]] beds of the [[Jeffersonville Limestone]] dated from the [[Devonian]] period.
[[Image:Fossil beds on the Ohio River.JPG|thumb|left|Fossil formations ([[Devonian]] [[Jeffersonville Limestone]]) found along the shores of the [[Ohio River]].]]
[[File:2016WIKI FallsOfTheOhioSP1June13.jpg|thumb|right|View of the fossil bed from the overlook]]
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The park includes an [[interpretive center]] open to the public. In 1990, the Indiana state government hired Terry Chase, a well-established exhibit developer, to design the center's displays. Construction began in September 1992, costing $4.9 million with a total area of {{convert|16000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}.<ref>Kramer, Carl. ''This Place We Call Home'' (Indiana University Press, 2007) p.495)</ref> The center functions as a museum with exhibits that concentrate on the [[natural history]] related to findings in the nearby fossil beds as well as the human history of the Louisville area, covering pre-settlement, early settlement, and the history of Louisville and [[southern Indiana]] through the 20th century.


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[[Image:rugose2.jpg|thumb|left|Large [[Rugosa|rugose]] [[coral]] (above hammer) at the Falls of the Ohio]]
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The park includes an [[interpretive center]] open to the public, built on the grounds where [[Camp Joe Holt]] once existed. In 1990 the Indiana state government hired Terry Chase, a well-established exhibit developer, to design the center's displays. Building started in September 1992, costing $4.9 million with a total area of {{convert|16000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}.<ref>Kramer, Carl. ''This Place We Call Home'' (Indiana University Press, 2007) p.495)</ref> The center functions as a museum with exhibits that concentrate on the [[natural history]] related to findings in the nearby fossil beds as well as the human history of the Louisville area, covering pre-settlement, early settlement, and Louisville and [[southern Indiana]] history all the way up through the 20th century.
[[Image:Fossil beds on the Ohio River.JPG|thumb|left|Fossil formations ([[Devonian]] Jeffersonville [[Limestone]]) found along the shores of the [[Ohio River]].]]
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[[Image:rugose2.jpg|thumb|left|Large [[Rugosa|rugose]] [[coral]] (above hammer) at the Falls of the Ohio.]]
Unlike at other [[List of Indiana state parks|Indiana state parks]], annual entrance permits do not allow unlimited free access (rather, only five people per pass per visit) to the interpretive center, as fees are still needed to reimburse the town of Clarksville for building the center.
Unlike at other [[List of Indiana state parks|Indiana state parks]], annual entrance permits do not allow unlimited free access (rather, only five people per pass per visit) to the interpretive center, as fees are still needed to reimburse the town of Clarksville for building the center.


The Woodland Loop Trail has ten new stainless steel markers denoting the plant life of the trails, thanks to an Eagle Scout project.<ref>[http://newsandtribune.com/clarkcounty/x519357779/Scout-project-enhances-Woodland-trail The News and Tribune - Scout project enhances Woodland trail<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The Woodland Loop Trail features ten stainless steel markers denoting the plant life of the trails, thanks to an [[Eagle Scout]] project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newsandtribune.com/clarkcounty/x519357779/Scout-project-enhances-Woodland-trail|title=Scout project enhances Woodland trail|work=News and Tribune}}</ref>


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{{Clear}}
Strange wildlife has a habit of showing up in the park. Living [[alligator]]s and [[crocodile]]s have also been seen in the park.<ref>[http://newsandtribune.com/clarkcounty/x519357513/Fisherman-finds-octopus-in-Ohio-River The News and Tribune - Fisherman finds octopus in Ohio River<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In August 2006 a fisherman hooked a dead [[octopus]]. Zachary Treitz, a 21-year-old Louisville college student, admitted he had put the octopus there after purchasing it dead from a local seafood shop for a film project.<ref name="octopus">{{cite news|first=Grace|last=Schneider|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=list&p_theme=gannett&s_site=courier-journal&p_product=LCJB&p_topdoc=11 |title=Octopus pulled from river was leftover from student's film project|publisher=[[The Courier-Journal]]|accessdate=2009-04-16}}</ref>
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{{-}}


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
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File:FotOSP Lobby.jpg|Interpretive Center Lobby
Image:FotO LewisClark statue.jpg|Statue honoring Lewis & Clark
File:2016WIKI FallsOfTheOhioSP3June13.jpg
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Image:FotOSP_Lobby.jpg|Interpretive Center Lobby
File:2016WIK FallsOfTheOhioSP.jpg
Image:Falls of the Ohio Museum.jpg|Visitor Center
File:2016WIKI FallsOfTheOhioSP2June13.jpg
File:RSH 20211224100745-Pano 01.jpg|View from the shore looking towards Louisville.
</gallery>
</gallery>


==See also==
==See also==
*[[The Filson Historical Society]]
*[[The Filson Historical Society]]
*[[List of attractions and events in Louisville, Kentucky]]
*[[List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area]]
*[[List of fossil sites]]
*[[List of fossil sites]]
*[[Old Clarksville Site]]
*[[Old Clarksville Site]]
*[[Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area]]: More information about the geology of the Falls


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|2}}
*[http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=38276797&x=-85763974&z=19&l=0&m=a WikiMapia]
*[http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=38276797&x=-85763974&z=19&l=0&m=a WikiMapia]
*{{cite web | url = http://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=38.27560&lon=-85.76360&datum=nad27&zoom=4 | title = Falls of the Ohio State Park, USGS New Albany (IN, KY) Topo Map | access-date = 2008-06-29 | author = United States Geological Survey | publisher = [[TopoQuest]]| author-link = United States Geological Survey }}
*[http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2984.htm Official web page]

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==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://www.fallsoftheohio.org/ Falls of the Ohio Organization]
*[http://www.fallsoftheohio.org/ Falls of the Ohio Organization]
*[http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2984.htm Falls of the Ohio State Park - Indiana Department of Natural Resources]
*{{cite web
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* [http://www.uky.edu/KGS/geoky/fieldtrip/2005%20AIPG%20Guidebooks/FallsofOhio.pdf ''Silurian and Devonian Geology and Paleontology at the Falls of the Ohio, Kentucky/Indiana''] - 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Professional Geologists, fieldtrip guidebook, 2005
| url = http://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=38.27560&lon=-85.76360&datum=nad27&zoom=4
| title = Falls of the Ohio State Park, USGS New Albany (IN,KY) Topo Map
| accessdate = 2008-06-29
| author = [[United States Geological Survey]]
| publisher = [[TopoQuest]]}}

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==External Links==
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* [http://www.uky.edu/KGS/geoky/fieldtrip/2005%20AIPG%20Guidebooks/FallsofOhio.pdf] ''Silurian and Devonian Geology and Paleontology at the Falls of the Ohio, Kentucky/Indiana'', 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Professional Geologists, fieldtrip guidebook, 2005


{{Louisville}}
{{Louisville}}
{{Protected Areas of Indiana}}
{{Protected Areas of Indiana}}

{{authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Falls Of The Ohio State Park}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Falls Of The Ohio State Park}}
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[[Category:Clarksville, Indiana]]
[[Category:Clarksville, Indiana]]
[[Category:History of Louisville, Kentucky]]
[[Category:History of Louisville, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Indiana state parks]]
[[Category:State parks of Indiana]]
[[Category:Ohio River]]
[[Category:Ohio River]]
[[Category:Paleontological sites of North America]]
[[Category:Paleozoic paleontological sites of North America]]
[[Category:Natural history museums in Indiana]]
[[Category:Natural history museums in Indiana]]
[[Category:Museums in Clark County, Indiana]]
[[Category:Museums in Clark County, Indiana]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Clark County, Indiana]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Clark County, Indiana]]
[[Category:Nature centers in Indiana]]

[[de:Falls of the Ohio State Park]]
[[Category:Fossil parks in the United States]]
[[Category:Paleontology in Indiana]]
[[pl:Park stanowy Falls of the Ohio]]
[[Category:1990 establishments in Indiana]]
[[Category:Devonian paleontological sites]]

Latest revision as of 20:50, 5 July 2024

Falls of the Ohio State Park
Map showing the location of Falls of the Ohio State Park
Map showing the location of Falls of the Ohio State Park
Map of the U.S. state of Indiana showing the location of Falls of the Ohio State Park
LocationClark County, Indiana, US
Nearest cityClarksville, Indiana
Coordinates38°16′32″N 85°45′49″W / 38.27556°N 85.76361°W / 38.27556; -85.76361
Area165 acres (67 ha)
Established1990
Visitors158,680 (in 2018–2019<)[1]
Governing bodyIndiana Department of Natural Resources

Falls of the Ohio State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is located on the banks of the Ohio River at Clarksville, Indiana, across from Louisville, Kentucky. The park is part of the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area. The exposed fossil beds of the Jeffersonville Limestone dated from the Devonian period are the main feature of the park, attracting about 160,000 visitors annually.[1] The Falls was the site where Lewis and Clark met for the Lewis and Clark Expedition at George Rogers Clark's cabin.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Fossil formations (Devonian Jeffersonville Limestone) found along the shores of the Ohio River.
View of the fossil bed from the overlook

The park includes an interpretive center open to the public. In 1990, the Indiana state government hired Terry Chase, a well-established exhibit developer, to design the center's displays. Construction began in September 1992, costing $4.9 million with a total area of 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m2).[8] The center functions as a museum with exhibits that concentrate on the natural history related to findings in the nearby fossil beds as well as the human history of the Louisville area, covering pre-settlement, early settlement, and the history of Louisville and southern Indiana through the 20th century.

Large rugose coral (above hammer) at the Falls of the Ohio

Unlike at other Indiana state parks, annual entrance permits do not allow unlimited free access (rather, only five people per pass per visit) to the interpretive center, as fees are still needed to reimburse the town of Clarksville for building the center.

The Woodland Loop Trail features ten stainless steel markers denoting the plant life of the trails, thanks to an Eagle Scout project.[9]

[edit]
  • Interpretive Center Lobby
    Interpretive Center Lobby
  • View from the shore looking towards Louisville.
    View from the shore looking towards Louisville.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "2018 / 2019 Estimated Fiscal Year Visits for Indiana State Parks ~ Alphabetical" (PDF). Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  2. ^ "Indiana Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission". In.gov. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  3. ^ "Kentucky places : Louisville and the Falls of the Ohio". Lewis and Clark in Kentucky. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  4. ^ "At the Falls of the Ohio". Lewis-clark.org. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  5. ^ "Old Clarksville Site-Lewis and Clark Expedition: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary". Nps.gov. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  6. ^ "IHB: Lewis and Clark-Indiana connections - Focus". In.gov. June 16, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  7. ^ "Part 4: Ohio River - Lewis and Clark - Corps of Discovery - U.S. Army Center of Military History". History.army.mil. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  8. ^ Kramer, Carl. This Place We Call Home (Indiana University Press, 2007) p.495)
  9. ^ "Scout project enhances Woodland trail". News and Tribune.
[edit]
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