Big Spring Falls is a 5-foot waterfall on the Kettle River in Banning State Park, Minnesota, where the river spills over a sandstone ledge just south of the town of Sandstone. The drop is small; the river divides around an island, with the falls on one side and rapids on the other.
The falls
The drop forms a broad sandstone ledge across the river, measuring no more than 5 feet high.
Getting there
The falls are in Banning State Park, managed by the Minnesota DNR, about 1.5 miles south of Sandstone. The walk is about 0.75 mile round trip, with a direct trail segment of 0.18 mile one way with about 15 feet of descent rated easy. A state park vehicle permit is required: $7 for a day or $35 for a year. The park's main campground closed on September 8, 2026 for construction and is expected to stay closed through the 2027 season; no closure of the trail to the falls has been announced.
When to go
At low water, exposed sandstone ledges and a beach appear. High water in spring can cover both the beach and the drop.
On site
On the water-trail map the falls are rated class IV, with warnings strongly advising paddlers not to run them or surf the waves below. Undercut ledges downstream can trap boats and swimmers, so stay out of the current. The portage is on river right, within a 0.7-mile portage section.
History and name
The name comes from a spring across the river whose blue-green water collects in a pool. The falls lay under the pool of the Kettle River Dam until the dam was removed in 1995, which exposed them again.
Nearby
Wolf Creek Falls is about 2.3 miles away. Across the Wisconsin line, Little Manitou Falls is about 44.9 miles away and Big Manitou Falls about 45.7 miles.
Distances are straight-line.