Mineral Springs Falls

One for the list

Is it plungeworthy?

—feet tall

A short, pretty falls.

Scale12/60

Documentation10/20

Character8/20

The details

Coordinates: 46.50301, -97.89357

Get directions →

About Mineral Springs Falls

Mineral Springs Falls is a waterfall in North Dakota.

It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.

Plungeworthy rates Mineral Springs Falls 3/10 — one for the list. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

North Dakota's only waterfall — that's the state tourism board's own framing, and it holds up. Mineral Springs Falls is a spring-fed drop of about 8 feet (up to 15 in high water) where an underground mineral spring emerges and splits into three streams over a low bluff in Sheyenne River State Forest, about a mile southeast of Fort Ransom.

Set expectations honestly: this is a small, quiet, spring-fed feature, not a dramatic plunge. One trip report in a dry spell found barely three feet of dribble that could pass for spring runoff. Go for the novelty of the only waterfall in a famously flat state and a peaceful prairie-forest hike — you may well have it entirely to yourself.

Because it's fed by a spring rather than runoff, it flows year-round, and in winter it builds picturesque ice formations against the bluff.

Getting there

Trailhead: Mineral Springs Trail trailhead, about 1 mile southeast of Fort Ransom along Valley Road (via 122nd Street off ND Highway 27)
Parking: Small trailhead lot at the state forest access point
Road: Gravel county roads from Fort Ransom; also described as 9 miles west and 4 miles north of Lisbon
Hike: 3 mi round trip (Easy to moderate walk on the blue-blazed Mineral Springs Trail, part of the North Country National Scenic Trail)
Heads up: Sources give the round trip as anywhere from about 2 to 4 miles depending on start point — plan for the longer figure. Hiking only on this spur; the falls sits about a third of a mile past where some maps pin the forest access point.

When to go

Open year-round. Spring-fed flow means there's water even in winter, with ice formations in the cold months.

High water after snowmelt or rain pushes the drop toward 15 feet; late-summer dry spells can shrink it to a trickle. Spring and early summer are the safest bet for a real show.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: None — this is state forest, not a state park, so North Dakota's day-use vehicle permit does not apply. Free.
Dogs: Allowed on the trail
Hours: No posted hours; open year-round
Camping: Free primitive backcountry camping — two carry-in, carry-out sites along the trail
Warnings: Stay out of the stream and off the falls itself — the spring formation is ecologically fragile and the no-touching rule is posted for a reason.

Researched from Wikipedia — Mineral Springs Waterfall · North Dakota Tourism — North Dakota has a waterfall? · North Dakota Forest Service — Sheyenne River State Forest · North Country Trail Association — Sheyenne River State Forest · Grand Forks Herald — N.D.'s only recognized waterfall · Listening to America — trip report. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Mineral Springs Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Planning a visit? We want your photo.

Mineral Springs Falls doesn't have a photo yet. If you make the trip, send one to hello@plungeworthy.com and we'll publish it here with credit to you.

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.