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Nine Penny Branch State Nature Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 255 Google reviews · Running trail in Charlestown, Indiana · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Loop distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Nine Penny Branch State Nature Preserve's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Nature preserve featuring a hiking trail that leads to a waterfall.
What runners say about Nine Penny Branch State Nature Preserve
“Very clean trail, and an easy to moderate hike.”
“Beautiful and Serene, very pleasant nature trail, some rough areas with protruding limestone rocks, small but gorgeous waterfall.”
“Easy trail well marked with lots to see.”
“Beautiful and Serene, very pleasant nature trail, some rough areas with protruding limestone rocks, small but gorgeous waterfall.”
“A hidden treasure in Southern Indiana it'd an easy hike down to the falls and only takes 30 minutes down and about the same back up.”
Our favorite trail in Southern IN! Very kind friendly, well maintained, not treacherous (unless you are near the waterfall), not a lot of mosquitoes, perfect swimming hole, never crowded, always beautiful no matter what weather.
Simply a good trail park. trail down to a creek bed for familys with small ones. After the creek good size loop trail. Great place for a two or so hour walk. No bathrooms or any other amenities just a parking lot going to the trail.
Beautiful, easy trail that is very well up kept. Lots of benches so you can stop if you need to.
Gorgeous little hidden gem of a park! We were killing time and decided to stop here and check it out. VERY basic park, not even a Porta potty in sight, but that shouldn't deter you if interested. The trail is very easy to navigate. Take trail shoes. You are likely to encounter some sloppy spots.
Trail conditions & character
“I came here because I heard there was a small waterfall, but since it hadn’t rained for a while, there was no water flowing when I visited (9/13/2025).”
“The trek back to the parking lot is an upward incline but the trail is designed to make it easier.”
“Beautiful entry trail with Falls Natural forest huge trees mile loop trail (across the creek )”
“Beautiful and Serene, very pleasant nature trail, some rough areas with protruding limestone rocks, small but gorgeous waterfall.”
“VERY basic park, not even a Porta potty in sight, but that shouldn't deter you if interested.”
Plan your run at Nine Penny Branch State Nature Preserve
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Websitein.gov
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 8 am–8 pm |
| Tuesday | 8 am–8 pm |
| Wednesday | 8 am–8 pm |
| Thursday | 8 am–8 pm |
| Friday | 8 am–8 pm |
| Saturday | 8 am–8 pm |
| Sunday | 8 am–8 pm |
Running trails near Charlestown
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Charlestown State Park Trail 1 Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 36 reviews
Kid-friendly area offering a number of hiking trails.
Christmas Lights Of Charlestown
4.8 ★★★★★ 486 reviews
Festive park featuring Christmas lights synced to music, a train ride and an ice rink, for a fee.
Greenway Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 123 reviews
Local green space with a dog area, a playground and a creek for kids to splash around in.
