Story courtesy of the Tyler Morning Telegraph
Story and photos by KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer
LINDALE — For generations parents have asked their children the question; "If your friends jumped off a cliff would you do it too? Well at a place called The Cliffs in Lindale the answer to the question is a resounding, Yes.
With thousands of people leaping each week the question is no longer will they jump, but whether or not there are safety issues and if those issues are being addressed by the owners of the property located off Farm-to-Market Road 16 east of Lindale.
Smith County Game Warden Chris Green said all kinds of rumors have been spread about the Cliffs after the location became a summer hot spot.
"There are some issues out here that we are working with the owners on, but there are also a bunch of rumors that have parents concerned and we are out checking those rumors so we can set some parents' minds at ease," he said.
Green said some of the concerns such as underage drinking, drug overdoses, fights and the possibility for serious injuries top the list.
"There's no way if we have an injury or fatality in the water that we can even launch a boat so we are working with the owners to try and improve this area," he said. "They need a better roadway to get emergency vehicles in and out in case they are needed."
David Ashcraft said his property was being mined for limestone when the mining process hit a snag.
"They hit a natural spring and it filled up both locations so that stopped the mining. We had some family kids start jumping then they went to school and told their friends and the next thing you know we had car loads coming out here," he said.
But it was several videos of death defying leaps off the 50 plus foot tall limestone cliffs posted on youtube that put the Cliffs on the map.
Ashcraft said he and his wife Danna had no choice but to begin charging admission to their property and say they are going to make
"This really started itself with our own kids going out there swimming. They put it on the Internet and it went wild," he said. "We get information on every person that comes through here and this weekend we have had people from Buffalo, NY., Pennsylvania, Arkansas and other states and then we get a lot from Dallas, Austin and Houston coming up to jump off the cliffs," Ashcraft said.
The man laughed and said if he wanted to start a business he didn't think it would be as successful as The Cliffs.
Ashcraft said during Memorial Day and Fourth of July they had to stop traffic on FM 16 to get people in and out because of the crowds
"We sure didn't expect all of this," he said.
For a group of three teens, who frequent the place, the reason they are repeat visitors is clear; they just want to have a good time.
The three men let out a yell as they did a variety of flips off the cliff plunging into the water 50 feet below.
Floating on air mattresses a group of girls let out a cheer as the trio disappeared into the abyss.
"This is why it's so much fun," another teen exclaimed as he took a running leap off the cliff spiraling down toward the water.
Ashcraft said he has been talking to his wife's son, country music artist Clay Walker, about making the much-needed improvements to ensure better safety.
Ashcraft said top priorities are making road improvements to enable ambulances and other emergency vehicles better access.
Now the trail to the cliffs is a one-lane rutted roadway cut through a wooded area in sandy soil.
Ashcraft said other steps as hiring security to help patrol the area are in the works.
"There is a plan. This just all kind of happened suddenly so we didn't have much time to plan. There are some things in progress right now to make this a better place. We just want to let the parents know we are working on all of this," he said.
The Cliffs require parents of those under 17 to be present and sign a waiver and every visitor must sign a release. Pets are not allowed nor are glass bottles or drugs permitted.
The cost per vehicle is $5 per person, $10 for two to five people and $15 for more than six people in a vehicle.
The Cliffs are about 4 miles east of Lindale on FM 16.
Ashcraft is working with law enforcement and authorities are checking for underage drinkers and drug offenders.
""This thing is a bonanza of people coming from all over the country, not just East Texas. An ambulance couldn't make it down there now. They need to get the improvements done to make everything safer," he said.
As friends and relatives of the Ashcrafts help check identifications they gather information about to where each carload of people are from and Ashcraft said he is sometimes surprised.
"I ask them why they are in Lindale and they say they came just for this. Some have told me they have driven four days just to jump off our cliffs," Ashcraft said.
