Minnehaha Falls is a 53-foot plunge waterfall on Minnehaha Creek in Minnehaha Regional Park, Minneapolis, Minnesota, about five miles from downtown. It is the waterfall Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote into The Song of Hiawatha.
The falls
Minnehaha Creek drops in a single plunge over a limestone lip into a gorge that leads down to the Mississippi River. Lidar data confirms the drop at 53 feet; earlier surveys listed 52 feet. The rock behind the curtain is Platteville Limestone on top, Decorah Shale beneath it and St. Peter Sandstone at the base. The falls formed from the same rocks and processes as Saint Anthony Falls, where the hard limestone cap slowly gives way over the soft sandstone below.
Getting there
The park is run by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board at 4801 S Minnehaha Drive, with pay parking, restrooms, picnic areas and walking paths. Developed areas are open 6 a.m. to midnight and undeveloped areas 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Overlooks and benches sit along the top of the gorge; a staircase descends into it, and a trail follows the creek past pools and stone bridges to a sandy beach at the Mississippi confluence. In July 2024 the Park Board closed the south-side access and viewing areas for repairs, so check the park page for current stair and overlook status.
When to go
Flow depends on water released from Lake Minnetonka upstream: in August 2022 drought closed the outlet dam and the falls ran completely dry. The Park Board promotes the park for autumn color. In winter the stairs down to the creek below the falls are not maintained and are cordoned off.
On site
The Park Board prohibits going behind the falls or to its immediate base, citing moving water, boulders and slippery slopes; "No Trespassing" signs are posted, and sliding down the gorge walls is banned. The recommended viewpoints are the footbridge above the falls and the overlook near the pavilion and the Sea Salt Eatery. The park map separates level paved and gravel paths along the top from steeper natural trails and stairs in the gorge.
History and name
Minnehaha comes from the Dakota mni, water, and haha, falls. The falls were once called Brown's Falls or Brown's Cascade after Army commander Jacob Brown. Longfellow never saw the falls he made famous. The city bought the land for the park in 1889.
Nearby
Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi in downtown Minneapolis is about 5.1 miles away. Across the state line in Wisconsin, Willow Falls is about 27.2 miles away and Apple River Falls about 29.5 miles.
Distances are straight-line.