Cataract Falls, inside Lieber State Recreation Area, is the largest waterfall in Indiana, by volume.
Cataract Falls consists of two sets of waterfalls, about one mile apart, on Mill Creek. Both consist of a series of drops. The total height of the Upper Falls is approximately 45 feet, and the Lower Falls drops about 30 feet. They are the largest waterfall by volume in the state and resulted from two pre-glacial bedrock ridges buried beneath ancient lake sediments of the Illinoisan glacial period.
Fast-forward a couple million years, and in the 1700s the area was populated by Native Americans of the Miami, Shawnee and Potawatomi bands. In 1809, what was left of the great Miami Indian Confederacy sold the land, forming the 10 O’clock Treaty Line, which passes through the 8,000-acre Lieber State Recreation Area.
Lieber features Cagles Mill Lake and a state-of-the-art Aquatic Center, open Memorial Day to Labor Day, with a zero entrance pool, water bubblers and a tornado water slide. The Park also offers shelters, a volleyball court, a playground, hiking trails, boat access to Cagles Mill Lake, and a campground. The 115 Class A and 94 Class B campsites make this a lovely place to visit. The Activities Field has horseshoe pits, basketball courts and children’s play areas.