Upper Cataract Falls is a 30-foot tiered waterfall on Mill Creek in Cataract Falls State Recreation Area, Owen County, Indiana, about 5.6 miles from Cloverdale. It is the upper of two sets of falls on the creek, situated where the stream cuts through buried bedrock ridges. A historic covered bridge crosses the creek just above the brink.
The falls
Two tiered plunges total 30 feet, with the tallest drop about 15 feet, though other accounts estimate the Upper Falls at about 45 feet. Below the remnants of an old dam, Mill Creek spills over thin beds of Ste. Genevieve Limestone. The falls exist because the creek cut down through silt and clay left by an Illinoian-age glacial lake and uncovered two buried bedrock ridges. More than 100 feet of rock is exposed in the falls and gorge, and Mill Creek drops more than 80 feet over the 1-mile stretch between the upper and lower falls.
Getting there
The recreation area is at 2605 N. Cataract Road near Spencer, off State Roads 42 and 243. A parking area at the Upper Falls includes a shelter, pit toilet and playground, with an observation deck overlooking the falls. An easy 0.8-mile trail leads from the deck along the west side of the creek to Lower Cataract Falls, while the Ed Dailey loop of pavement and stone and the Creekside Trail also link the two falls. Daily entrance fees for state parks and state-managed lakes are $7 for Indiana vehicles and $15 for out-of-state vehicles; the property office at 765-276-0194 gives current hours.
When to go
Seasonal flow at the falls is not documented. At low water, large chert nodules of the Indian Creek Beds show directly below the old dam. The property office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with weekend and seasonal hours that vary.
On site
Swimming is prohibited anywhere along the creek and falls, the water immediately above and below the falls is off limits, and climbing on or fishing from the falls is banned. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet. In one recorded rescue, a 13-year-old who fell at Upper Cataract Falls was trapped below a cliff and had to be airlifted out; visitors should stay on marked trails.
History and name
The Cataract Falls covered bridge, built in 1876, is the only surviving covered bridge in Owen County and one of six Smith truss bridges in Indiana. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
Nearby
Lower Cataract Falls is about 0.6 mile downstream, just above Cagles Mill Lake. Vermillion Falls is about 19.1 miles away and Groundhog Falls is about 19.7 miles away. McCormick's Creek State Park is another nearby state park property.
Distances are straight-line.