Photo: Lorie Shaull · CC BY-SA 4.0Minnehaha Falls
One for the list
Is it plungeworthy?
A waterfall on Minnehaha Creek.
The details
- Watercourse
- Minnehaha Creek
- Coordinates
- 44.9154, -93.21076
About Minnehaha Falls
Minnehaha Falls is a waterfall in Minnesota, on Minnehaha Creek.
It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.
Plungeworthy rates Minnehaha Falls 3.5/10 — one for the list. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
Longfellow's 53-foot 'laughing water,' falling inside Minneapolis city limits to an audience of two million park visitors a year. Take the light rail to a waterfall — this is the only entry in our whole guide where that sentence works.
Getting there
- Trailhead
- Minnehaha Regional Park overlook, off Hiawatha Avenue — or the Blue Line to 50th St/Minnehaha Park station
- Parking
- Paid and free lots plus metered streets
- Road
- City streets
- Hike
- 0.2 mi round trip (easy — paved and accessible to the overlook)
- Heads up
- The unofficial stairs to the creek bed below are well-worn but not maintained.
When to go
April–May melt for the full plume — the creek runs off Lake Minnetonka and can thin to a whisper by August. Winter freezes it into the Twin Cities' favorite ice sculpture.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Free — city park
- Dogs
- Leashed (an off-leash dog park lives elsewhere in the park)
- Hours
- 6am–midnight
- Warnings
- The scramble below the falls is slick and unofficial; the winter ice cave behind the curtain is a recurring rescue headline — admire it from the rail.
Researched from Minneapolis Parks — Minnehaha Regional Park · Wikipedia — Minnehaha Falls. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Minnehaha Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
Where is Minnehaha Falls?
Minnehaha Falls is a waterfall in Minnesota, at 44.9154, -93.21076.
Is Minnehaha Falls worth visiting?
One for the list — Plungeworthy rates it 3.5/10.
Gear for the trip
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