Ferne Clyffe Waterfall

Ferne Clyffe Waterfall is a tall seasonal waterfall on a tributary of Happy Hollow in Johnson County. The waterfall is located in Ferne Clyffe State Park.

Hike Length: 0.8 miles
Estimated Time: < 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Location: Ferne Clyffe State Park

Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Moderate
Warnings: The rocks around the waterfall are very slippery.  
Trailhead GPS: 37.54270,-88.98055
Waterfall GPS: 37.54068,-88.97375

Directions:

From Vienna, head west on I-24 for about 6 miles to exit 7 towards Goreville.  At the end of the off-ramp, turn left on Tunnel Hill Road and go 2.7 miles.  Turn left on IL-37 south, go 0.6 miles and turn right into the park.  In 0.6 miles, bear left at the campground and continue just over another mile to the trailhead.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the parking area, pick up the Big Rocky Hollow Trail at the east end of the parking lot.  The trail runs through the hollow with impressive cliffs.

The trail ends in under 0.5 miles at the waterfall.  It's seasonal so can completely dry up if there hasn't been much rain.

Blog Entries:

01-Sep-2020: Shawnee Hills

External Links:

Illinois State Parks website: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Pages/FerneClyffe.aspx