Clarksville in Clark County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Falls of the Ohio Fossil Beds

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, December 27, 2025

1. Falls of the Ohio Fossil Beds Marker

Inscription.
Falls of the Ohio Fossil Beds
has been designated a

National Natural Landmark

This site possesses exceptional value as an illustration of the nation's natural heritage and contributes to a better understanding of the environment

1966
National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior

Erected 1966 by National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Landmarks • Natural Features. In addition, it is included in the National Natural Landmarks series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1966.

Location. 38° 16.597′ N, 85° 45.829′ W. Marker is in Clarksville, Indiana, in Clark County. It can be reached from West Riverside Drive north of West Winbourne Avenue, on the left when traveling north. This marker is on the river-facing wall of the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center at Falls of the Ohio State Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 201 W Riverside Dr, Clarksville IN 47129, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southern Indiana.

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It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Ohio River Valley,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Navigating the Falls of the Ohio (within shouting distance of this marker); John A. Munz and Coast Guard Ohio River History (within shouting distance of this marker); History’s Great Explorers (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Indiana State Parks: the First 100 Years 1916-2016 (about 400 feet away); Fossils at the Falls (approx. 0.4 miles away); Scenic Spans (approx. 0.7 miles away); Clarksville (approx. 0.7 miles away); Railroad Cars to Go (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clarksville.

Another marker is no longer nearby. River Navigation (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . .
1. National Natural Landmarks: Ohio Coral Reef (Falls of the Ohio).

Fossil Beds at the Falls of the Ohio image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, December 27, 2025

2. Fossil Beds at the Falls of the Ohio

Interpretive marker describing the importance of the Falls of the Ohio fossil beds and some of the fossils that can be found.

Within the Ohio River, the Ohio Coral Reef is a classic example of a Silurian and Devonian coral community. The site is the type locality for a number of coral species and nearly 900 nominal species have been founded on specimens collected here.

(Submitted on January 17, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana.)

2. Discovering Fossils at the Falls of the Ohio. Falls of the Ohio Foundation PDF of a brochure about the fossil beds and the fossils contained therein.

The fossil beds are made of limestone, a type of sedimentary rock. This limestone was formed beneath a shallow inland sea. Over millions of years, sediments composed of fossil skeletons large and small were compressed from a sandy or muddy sea floor to hard rock as the weight of overlying sediment was added. Only in the last 12,000 years has the river exposed the rock at the Falls of the Ohio.

(Submitted on January 17, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana.)

Birds of the Falls of the Ohio image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, December 27, 2025

3. Birds of the Falls of the Ohio

Historical content of this interpretive marker:
Between 1808 - 1810, famed artist and naturalist John James Audubon spent many hours exploring the Falls of the Ohio, observing and capturing birds to sketch. Over 275 species of birds have been seen at the Falls, and Audubon's records help us know what birds were here over 200 years ago.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 17, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. This page has been viewed 53 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 17, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.