Sycamore Trust acquires 58 acres of Clifty Creek

Fifty-eight more acres of southern Indiana landscape will be protected after a donation to the Sycamore Land Trust, the organization announced Tuesday in a press release.

The Clemens Place on Clifty Creek, located just north of Koleen in Greene County and about 20 miles from Bloomington, is the newest addition to the Sycamore Land Trust’s preserves.

Founded in 1990, the Sycamore Land Trust’s purpose is to preserve disappearing landscapes characteristic of southern Indiana.

Since its founding, the trust has set aside nearly 6,000 acres of 73 properties. Most of these have been land donations from private individuals.

The 58-acre property was donated by owner William Clemens Jr. and is the fourth protected property the trust owns in Greene County.

The property has been in the Clemens family since 1858.

In Clemens family lore, caves on the property were used during the Civil War to hide horses, according to the press release.

The property has impressive geological features, including a portion of the Clifty Creek Canyon, which has large sandstone bluffs.

The area was identified by the Department of Natural Resources as a significant geological site in Indiana. The property also features a mature oak and hickory forest.

The Sycamore Land Trust serves 26 counties in Indiana, from Morgan County, south of Indianapolis, to the counties bordering the Ohio River.

— Zach Ammerman