Alan Goldstein and
Kelley Murphy are
eager to answer
visitors��� questions and
give tours.
unteer Coordinator Connie
Farmer.
Stepping out onto an ancient sea ��oor is an unusual
treat. In ancient days, the
Louisville and Southern Indiana area was covered by
a massive tropical ocean,
teeming with sea creatures
that are now fossilized. The
Devonian age was the age
of ��sh and the species are
ancestors of today���s modern ��sh. Goldstein said at
the Falls there are primarily
interesting coral structures.
Making a waving motion
with his hand, he joked
that visiting the park is like
���dry snorkeling��� and that
most fossil beds are only
viewable in cross sections.
The Falls��� rock outcroppings provided a place for
animals to hunt and ��sh
and made for a perfect
place for Native Americans
to live since the Paleo-Indian times. Goldstein said
this was the only place
where animals could ford
along the river and was essentially the ���food court���
of the Paleo-Indian world.
���You had mammoth,
bu��alo, deer, ��sh, all of
your birds, mussels,��� he
said. ���This was a pretty
Planning your visit to the Falls
The best time to visit Falls of the Ohio State Park is in August, at the river���s lowest point. In drought years the fossil
beds are sometimes exposed as early as May.
Take a tour, visit the interpretive center, or simply explore
the park on your own. Also part of the park is the George
Rogers Clark Home Site and Boat Ramp, Gardens at the Falls
of the Ohio and the Hale Wetland.
Activities at the park include bird watching (look out for
bald eagles and great blue herons), ��shing, boating and hiking. Or simply enjoy the peaceful view of Louisville while
sitting on fossils. A handicap accessible ramp is available.
The grounds are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11
p.m. Interpretive center hours are Monday through Saturday
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
It is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is
$5 for adults, $2 for children. Parking is included if visiting
the Interpretive Center, otherwise it is $2 per vehicle to visit
the park.
The park is accessible from the Ohio River Greenway Trail.
Other park activities include summer day camps for all ages
For more information, call 812.280.9970 or visit www.fallsoftheohio.org.
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