Deadman Falls


March 2006

State: Indiana

Location: Hanover

Height: 30?

Crest: 10?

Water Source: Deadman Creek

Waypoint: 38.72306N 85.45917W

Summary: Deadman Falls, located on the Hanover College campus, is one of many wet weather falls in the area. Deadman Falls is one of the larger in terms of volume, and even then it will only have an appreciable amount of water after a decent rain. If it has been raining heavily recently, you might be able to find half a dozen waterfalls. Otherwise your time is probably better spent elsewhere.

Deadman Falls is located in the gorge on the Hanover College campus. There are two named waterfalls in the gorge, Deadman Falls and Horseshoe Falls, plus at least two other highly wet weather waterfalls. There are also many other waterfalls near Hanover. Crowe Falls is in a gorge just south of the campus. Butler Falls, Fremont Falls and Chain Mill Falls, are a few miles farther south. Fremont Falls is the highest waterfall in Indiana according to some. Of these, Butler Falls is the only one on a stream significant enough to show up on the maps.

There is a trail leading down into the gorge at the southern end of campus near the administration building. The trail then follows the creekbed upstream to the waterfalls. The creekbed is very rocky, and when the water is low, the water actually flows under the rocks. So when you first see the creekbed it may appear totally dry even though water is flowing. If the water is above the rocks, then you know the falls will be running well.

The trail ends at the mouth of the two gorges leading to the falls. The smaller (in terms of volume) Horseshoe Falls is on the right, and Deadman Falls is on the left. At this point there really is no trail and you just have to walk up the creek. In high water this may be dangerous. So it is sort of a catch-22. When the falls are really flowing it may be impossible to actually go see them.

The falls might be visible from Scenic Drive, which hugs the west rim of the gorge. However this is a narrow and curving road and there is absolutely no place to pull over. Trying to climb into or out of this end of the gorge is definitely not recommended.

There are lots of fossils to be seen in the gorge. The remains of an ancient seabed are buried beneath this part of Indiana, and here the creek has cut down deep enough to reveal it. Fossils can also be seen at Clifty Falls and at the Falls of the Ohio.

Nearby Falls

Clifty Falls is only a few miles away. This is more likely to have water than any of the other falls in the area. Locations, but not descriptions, of the other nearby falls can be found at geology.com.

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Horseshoe Falls

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