Falls of the Ohio State Park: Woodland Loop Trail (Blog Hike #1013)

Trail: Woodland Loop Trail
Hike Location: Falls of the Ohio State Park
Geographic Location: Clarksville, IN (38.27661, -85.76355)
Length: 0.7 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: April 2024
Overview: A short loop past fossil beds along the Ohio River.
Park Information: https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/parks-lakes/falls-of-the-ohio-state-park/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=961878
Photo Highlight:

Mini Video: (coming May 13, 2025)

Directions to the trailhead: In extreme southern Indiana, take I-65 to Clark Boulevard (exit 0 northbound or exit 1 southbound).  Exit and go west on Clark Blvd.  Drive Clark Blvd. west 0.4 miles to Winbourne Avenue, which is reached just after passing under a railroad overpass.  Turn left on Winbourne Ave.  Winbourne Ave. deadends at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center after crossing over the Ohio River's levee.  Park in the large blacktop parking lot behind the Interpretive Center.

The hike: Long before airports, interstates, roadways, railroads, or even wagon trails existed, the Ohio River was the main artery of transportation through the lower Midwest.  One of the great natural barriers to boats navigating the river was the Falls of the Ohio, where the river drops 26 feet over a 2-mile stretch via a series of rocky rapids.  Louisville, Kentucky was founded in 1778 on the south bank of these rapids, and between 1825 and 1830 the first locks on the Ohio River were built to get boats over the rapids.  The locks and dams at the Falls of the Ohio were upgraded many times, and the current iteration known as McAlpine Locks and Dam was built in the 1960's by the Army Corps of Engineers.

            The Falls of the Ohio hold other things of historical interest.  In October 1803, Lewis and Clark met here as they prepared for their famous exploration of what would become the American west.  Also, the rocks that formed the river's rapids contain many fossils, and the Falls of the Ohio remain one of the best fossil viewing sites in the Midwest.

            In 1981, Falls of the Ohio garnered federal protection via the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area, and the State of Indiana's Falls of the Ohio State Park is a subset of the Conservation Area.  The park is most famous for its Interpretive Center, which has many exhibits that focus on the famous fossil beds.  For hikers, the 165-acre park has only 1 short trail: the Woodland Loop Trail described here.  The trail forms a true loop along the north bank of the Ohio River, and it is a nice add-on if you come to Falls of the Ohio to see the fossils.

Trailhead for Woodland Loop Trail

            The Woodland Loop Trail starts at the northwest corner of the parking lot, i.e. the opposite end from the Interpretive Center.  A bench, information sign, and boulder mark the trailhead.  The single-track dirt trail heads north with the levee rising to your right and the Ohio River hidden by the trees downhill to your left.  This floodplain forest features some large basswood and oak trees with a shrubby and grassy understory.

Ohio River levee

Deadwood-filled drainage

            For the most part the trail stays in the edge of the woods, but occasionally it wanders onto the base of the sunny grassy levee.  At 0.35 miles, you reach the north end of the loop and a drainage filled with deadwood.  The trail curves sharply left here and begins heading upstream with the river just to your right.  Depending on river levels, this part of the trail may be underwater or covered with flood debris.  In that case, you can simply retrace your steps back to the trailhead on the levee side of the loop.

Louisville skyline across Ohio River

McAlpine Locks and Dam

            The river stays close on the right, and at 0.6 miles you arrive at the fossil beds that make this park famous.  Look carefully in the rocks below your feet for fossils, but the Louisville skyline across the river will also draw your attention.  Climb the hill to the left to return to the parking lot and complete the hike.