Winnewissa Falls is a 12-foot waterfall on Pipestone Creek in Pipestone National Monument, Pipestone County, Minnesota. It lies beside the active pipestone quarries that American Indian people have worked for centuries, and it appears in a sacred tradition about the quarry, an unexpected drop in prairie country.
The falls
Lidar data indicates a single vertical block drop of about 12 feet. The Circle Trail crosses the creek on a bridge below the falls, which gives the main view.
Getting there
The paved Circle Trail starts and ends at the monument's visitor center near the town of Pipestone. The loop is 3/4 mile, and the falls sit about 3/8 mile in, roughly halfway around. The walk takes about 20 minutes straight through and up to an hour with stops; benches line the route. Admission and parking are free, and the trail is open for walking at any time of day.
When to go
The trail is open year-round. After January 1 snow is left uncleared so it can build up for snowshoeing, and spring flooding can close part or all of the loop, so check monument alerts before a visit in those seasons.
On site
Stay out of the water: the creek is contaminated and unfit for drinking or recreation. A 2018–19 study found pesticides, pharmaceuticals, algal toxins and bacteria, with E. coli above recommended levels in every sample. Air sampling near the falls in August 2026 checked whether microbes become airborne, but found no harmful pathogens, and the trail and bridge remained open. The trail is not fully ADA-compliant but may be wheelchair accessible with some assistance. Dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet.
History and name
The falls were first painted in the 1830s. An American Indian tradition tells how the Great Spirit called the warring nations together at the quarry, made a pipe from the stone as a teaching of peace and shared use of the site, and a waterfall poured from the rock nearby. The falls were later dynamited to lower them and channel the water.
Nearby
Devils Falls is about 22.1 miles away, across the state line in South Dakota, and Sioux Falls on the Big Sioux River is about 37.5 miles away. Along the Circle Trail itself are the working quarries and the Old Stone Face.
Distances are straight-line.