Mysterious Rose Island / Charlestown State Park (Charlestown, Indiana)

FILMED IN HIGH DEFINITION
Rose Island, located along the Ohio River, In Charlestown, Indiana, has a very mysterious past that had me wanting to visit for many years. On one hand, it’s a ghost town of large artifacts, from a theme park that was abandoned in 1937. The great flood of 1937 submerged it, and most of neighboring Louisville, Kentucky: the theme park never recovered.
But before that, pioneers mentioned castle ruins above the ridge known as “Devils Backbone.” Later geologists actually created a map, detailing man made-mounds and what they called, “artificial walls”, that were built well before European settlement in the 1800’s. It’s claimed that 6 armored, ancient soldiers’ skeletons were excavated in 1799, and their breastplates bore a Welsh coat of arms. This has led to speculation, that ties to the legend of Prince Madoc, whom supposedly sailed to North America in 1170: a full 322 years before Christopher Columbus!
Whether the folklore has any basis in truth or not, Rose Island is definitely an interesting place to explore! This film shows the trail to 14 Mile Creek, the suspension bridge, large theme park artifacts that were left behind, as well as Devils Backbone, where the ancient castle allegedly stood. I actually climbed up several stories to get a good look at the stone, and what some people call the work of human hands.
Note that the trail to Rose Island is over one mile and drops 70 feet in elevation. It’s a mostly 30 degree climb, all the way back up that mile, so only try this trail if you’re physically fit! You can’t say i didn’t warn you!