Minnesota is home to many stunning waterfalls from charming fairytale settings to powerful rugged cascades. Some require a little bit of hiking and scrambling over boulders, while several you can seriously walk right up to from the parking lot without breaking a sweat. If the latter is more your thing, I’ve identified more than 15 easy hiking trails with waterfalls in Minnesota – perfect for kids or if you just want to do a short scenic hike.
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Top family-friendly and easy hiking trails with waterfalls in Minnesota
Illgen Falls is a hidden gem at Tettegouche State Park. You will find a few stairs and uneven terrain on the path. But it is a fairly short walk. In fact, you can hear the waterfall where you park your vehicle on the highway. Please keep young children close as this waterfall is 40 feet high and there are some rocky areas and steep drop-offs.
Here is a list – in alphabetical order – of the easiest waterfalls to access (e.g., short walk or hike) in Minnesota. These are perfect for family hikes with kids who want to see waterfalls and cascades. But still use caution with small children as the waterfalls are especially powerful in the spring and some trails have steep drop-offs or stairs.
Winnewissa Falls; Pipestone National Monument; Pipestone, Minn.
Cannon Falls; Cannon Falls, Minn.
The Cannon Valley Trail from Cannon Falls to Red Wing, Minn. is a popular 18-mile bike path. You’ll find this cascade waterfall at the Cannon Falls trailhead. It’s close to a charming downtown as well as a brewery.
Location: Located near Minnieska Park in Cannon Falls, you can find lots of public parking (lot or street) near North Sixth and Veterans Lane.
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: It’s literally just steps away from the public parking lot.
Caron Falls or Wellstone Falls; Caron Park; Northfield, Minn.
You’ll find this sweet waterfall in the remote Caron Park in Rice County between Northfield and Faribault, Minn. – known as Caron Falls or Wellstone Falls.
I’ve visited the Caron Falls or Wellstone Falls (I’ve heard it called both) waterfall in the fall and in the winter – love that it is secluded and remote. You won’t see many people on this trail. And it’s a super easy hike.
Location: Caron Park is located at 6816 170th Street East in Faribault, Minn. (although it feels closer to Northfield).
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: This out-and-back trail is only 0.7 miles one way.
Cascades Overlook and Cascades Falls; Cascade River State Park; Lutsen, Minn.
You will find a slightly steep incline when you first enter Cascade River State Park (it’s especially treacherous in the winter). But it’s still a fairly easy and short hike to see a couple of waterfalls.
Location: You’ll find parking right outside the Cascade River State Park at 3481 West Highway 61 in Lutsen, Minn. near mile marker 100.
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: You’ll find the first cascade soon after you start the 0.5-mile Cascade River Lower Loop Trail.
Gooseberry Falls – Lower, Middle, and Upper Falls; Gooseberry Falls State Park; Two Harbors, Minn.
Gooseberry Falls is home to four waterfalls – and three are super easy waterfall hikes.
Gooseberry Falls is Minnesota’s most popular state park. That’s because the waterfalls are so accessible. Lower and Middle Falls are together (as pictured above) and High Falls is just a short trek away on a paved trail.
Distance to waterfall: You only have to walk a short distance to see the Lower and Middle Falls. Or you can take the 1-mile loop around to also see Upper Falls. Fifth Falls is only a two-mile loop trail, but is a little bit hilly with gravel and boardwalks. I think it’s still a fairly easy trail. And I need to return as there was a drought when we checked out Fifth Falls last summer – so only saw a trickle.
Hidden Falls; Hidden Falls Regional Park; St. Paul, Minn.
Location: The first Hidden Falls is located in Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul at 1313 Hidden Falls.
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: This trail to Hidden Falls waterfall in St. Paul is only a 1.3-mile loop.
Hidden Falls; Nerstrand Big Woods State Park; Nerstrand, Minn.
This second not-so Hidden Falls located at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park is especially popular for families. It’s a fairly easy hike and many times you’ll find kids and adults alike swimming or at least wading in the falls, However, take notice of any signs as the last time I was there they recommended no swimming I believe due to a high amount of bacteria.
Location: You’ll find this second Hidden Falls at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, 9700 170th Street E., Nerstrand, Minn. Tip: It’s not that far from Caron Falls / Wellstone Falls so you could see them the same day.
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: Hidden Falls trail to this waterfall is only a one-mile loop. You can make your hike longer by also hiking the Beaver Loop (2.5-mile loop).
High Falls; Grand Portage State Park; Grand Portage, Minn.
High Falls at Grand Portage State Park in Grand Portage, Minn. is the most majestic waterfall trail – and super quick and easy to hike. You can’t miss Grand Portage State Park as it is the last stop before you reach the Canadian border. In fact, you can see three nations from Grand Portage State Park – U.S., Canada, and Anishinabi Tribal Lands. This free state park features an educational visitor center and lies within the Grand Portage Native American Reservation – a band of Chippewa.
Location: The 120-foot High Falls – tallest waterfall in Minnesota – is located at Grand Portage State Park, 9393 East Highway 61 in Grand Portage.
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: It’s an easy one-mile roundtrip wheelchair-accessible hike to the overlook of High Falls. You’ll find two additional viewing platforms just a short distance away. This park also features a 20-foot waterfall, but it is a more rigorous hike that I’ve yet to do.
Illgen Falls; Tettegouche State Park; Silver Bay, Minn.
People often ask why Minnesota North Shore waterfalls are brown. The root beer color comes from tannins – organic compounds from the nearby trees.
The 40-foot Illgen Falls is the most recent waterfall we discovered – off the beaten path of the other Tettegouche State Park waterfalls. I didn’t include those in this post as while they are beautiful, they are more moderate and challenging hikes.
Location: GPS will take you to a different part of Tettegouche State Park. So simply drive past Tettegouche State Park until you reach Highway 1. Take a left and drive about 1.5 miles or so and you’ll see a small pull-off area where you can park on the left side of the road.
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: While you’ll find a few stairs and some uneven terrain, the hike to Illgen Falls is only 1 mile roundtrip – if even that. So close, you can hear it from where you park on Highway 1.
Note: While this is an easy hike, keep your children close as this waterfall is pretty powerful especially in the spring, and there is a steep drop-off.
Jay Cooke State Park cascades; Thomson / Carlton, Minn.
While you can hike for miles on rugged trails at Jay Cooke State Park, this beautiful wonder offers an easy hike to view mesmerizing cascades along the banks of the St. Louis River or simply walk across the swinging bridge.
Location: Jay Cooke State Park is located just south of Duluth and right off I-35 at 780 MN-210 in Carlton, Minn.
Distance to cascades: You’re only a short walk away from the stunning swinging bridge that spans the cascades on the St. Louis River. Tale the 1.8-mile loop CCC flat trail right along the banks of the river for some small, yet mesmerizing cascades.
Find this beautiful oasis in the heart of Minneapolis – Minnehaha Falls is at the top of my list when showing friends and family around the Twin Cities.
Location: The 53-foot waterfall is located in Minnehaha Regional Park at 4801 S. Minnehaha Drive in Minneapolis, Minn.
Distance to waterfall: That depends. If you find parking right near Minnehaha Regional Park (by Sea Salt Eatery – yum!), then it’s just a short walk. Minnehaha attracts more than 800,000 visitors a year so parking is a challenge sometimes on weekends. But you can find other paid parking lots or street parking within a few blocks typically.
Minnemishinona Falls; Mankato, Minn.
Location: Minnemishinona Falls is located at 40923 Judson Bottom Road in Mankato, Minn. – and not too far from Minneopa Falls (see below).
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: You’ll find a small parking lot and a short trail that takes you to the bridge that overlooks the 42-foot waterfall. We visited Minnemishinona Falls in late September, and it was a little dry, but still pretty. I returned in the winter and the frozen waterfall was magical.
Minneopa Falls; Minneopa State Park; Mankato, Minn.
Minneopa Falls ranks up there as one of my favorite waterfalls and state parks in Minnesota. Not only are you treated to a two-tiered waterfall (10 feet and 39 feet) you can walk over and between the two levels of falls (on a bridge), and the other part of the park features a drive-through bison range. See my related post about all the top things to do at Minneopa Falls State Park.
Location: Minneopa Falls is located at 54497 Gadwall Road at Minneopa State Park in Mankato, Minn.
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: It’s a very short paved trail to the bridge that crosses between the lower and upper falls. Minneopa is Dakota for water falling twice. You can also take steps down to the basin of the falls. Just be careful especially in the winter as they are slippery with ice. And don’t walk on the river even if it looks frozen over. I saw two people fall through when I visited during the winter. See my frozen waterfalls of Minnesota guide.
Ramsey Falls; Ramsey Park; Redwood Falls, Minn.
Alexander Ramsey Park in Redwood Falls, MN is nicknamed The Little Yellowstone of Minnesota. This delightful park also features a small zoo.
Location: The beautiful 30-foot Ramsey Falls is located in Alexander Ramsey Park – 99 East Oak Street.
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: You can park right at the viewing area of Ramsey Falls. Or I recommend taking the short hike over the suspension bridge – especially beautiful in the fall.
Red Rock Falls; Red Rock Falls County Park; Sanborn, Minn.
So Red Rock Falls County Park is one that I need to revisit. A small remote park apparently features three waterfalls. But I’m not sure how easy the other two are to access as my friends and I were chasing daylight. But I can tell you that this hidden waterfall is easy to hike to – just a short walk to the gorge from the parking area.
Location: The waterfalls at Red Rock Falls County Park is located at 48771 250th Street, Sanborn, Minn.
Distance to waterfall: You won’t find a trail to this waterfall in the gorge, but it is a super short walk from the parking area.
St. Anthony Falls; Minneapolis, Minn.
St. Anthony Falls in downtown Minnesota – one of the few waterfalls on the Mississippi River
The historic St. Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis is one of only a few waterfalls on the Mississippi River. See my related post: Top 10 walking tours of the Twin Cities.
Location: St. Anthony Falls Visitor Center (free) is located at 1 Portland Avenue in Minneapolis, Minn. However, you can view the St. Anthony Falls from above (Guthrie Center), from a distance on the Stone Arch pedestrian bridge, or my favorite – get up close via the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail.
Distance to waterfall: The St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail urban hike is an easy 1.7-mile out-and-back trail. Or catch a view of the Mississippi River and the falls by crossing the historic Stone Arch Bridge – only 0.5 miles one-way.
View of St. Anthony Falls from the Stone Arch Bridge
Temperance River cascade (on Lake Superior side of park); Temperance River State Park; Schroeder, Minn.
Catching a glimpse of the stunning cascades at Temperance River State Park – on the Lake Superior side – is fairly easy as long as you can manage steps.
Location: Temperance River State Park is located at 7620 West, MN-61, Schroeder, MN 55613. This park features two sides – the Lake Superior side where you can park right off Highway 61 aka the North Shore and walk down some steps for some fabulous views of the cascades leading to Lake Superior. You can find additional waterfalls at cascades on the other side of the highway, but the trails are a little too rigorous to be included in this easy waterfall hikes of Minnesota post.
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: Get out of your car and / or walk across the highway (look both ways – can be busy) and go down the steps.
Vermillion Falls in Hastings, Minn. is a beautiful 35-foot urban waterfall – especially love it in the fall and winter (when it’s frozen). Back in the day, this waterfall powered a gristmill.
Location: You can find Vermillion Falls Park at 215 21st Street East in Hastings, Minn.
Distance to waterfall: Not far. Park in the parking lot and walk over on the paved pathway.
Winnewissa Falls; Pipestone National Monument; Pipestone, Minn.
I’m so happy my husband and I took a detour from my Minnesota state park challenge last year (where I hiked all 66 Minnesota state parks), to visit Pipestone National Monument. You’ll learn so much history – and an easy paved trail leads you to Winnewissa Falls.
Location: Winnewissa Falls is located at Pipestone National Monument, 36 Reservation Ave, Pipestone, Minn.
Distance to waterfall from trailhead: Winnewissa Falls is only located 3/8-mile from the Pipestone National Monument visitor center. The entire paved Circle Trail is only 3/4 of a mile.
An easy waterfall hike in Wisconsin near the Twin Cities
Just across the river and less than an hour from the Twin Cities, you can find this beautiful and easy waterfall hike at Willow River State Park. This waterfall is located at 1034 Co Hwy A in Hudson, Wisconsin.
Best waterfalls in Minnesota
Frozen waterfall at Grand Portage State Park in Minnesota – easy hike even in the winter
If you like this post, you may also like my local guides in this best-of-Minnesota waterfalls series.
Twin Cities-based blogger sharing memorable emptynester, solo, family and girlfriend-getaway adventures, as well as my day hiking adventures (including all 66 Minnesota state parks), latest book reviews, and updates on my quest for the best adult mac and cheese.
Also two WIPs: historical fiction and psychological thriller
54 comments
This is a great list of easy hikes with waterfalls in Minn. I hope I get to go on a few!
This is a post to keep for sure. It was great to see such a good selection of easier hiking paths. And so many great waterfall sites too! Some of these would be good for day trips and others might even work for short road trip stops. Great to remind people that waterfalls are fun to see in the winter too.
Thank you! Loved pulling together this guide to some easy hikes in Minnesota that l ad to waterfalls. I especially love seeing the frozen waterfalls in winter.
I admittedly know very little about Minnesota, but I had no idea there were so many beautiful waterfalls across the state! I’d especially like to visit Cascades Falls and Minneopa Falls, and how charming is that area around Vermillion Falls? Just beautiful! Thanks for sharing – I’ll be sure to refer back if I ever plan a trip to Minnesota! Xx Sara
Thank you and my pleasure! We do have a lot of beautiful and charming waterfalls in Minnesota. And it’s nice there are easy hiking trails that lead to them making it accessible for most people.
I love a hiking trail with a waterfall! These all look incredible! Gooseberry Falls looks spectacular! So much bigger than the waterfalls we get in the UK! High Falls looks so dramatic too! Thanks for the great guide!
Thank you! It was fun putting together this Minnesota guide to easy hiking trails with waterfalls. I love Gooseberry Falls and High Falls at Grand Portage especially.
Aren’t waterfalls just mesmerizing?! This is a great list of hiking trails with waterfalls. My favorite was the one at Minneopa State Park. Just beautiful!
Thank you. The waterfalls in Minnesota are so mesmerizing. I think Minneopa Falls is my favorite also – it’s such an easy hike (more like a walk) and so majestic.
What a detailed and specific list, I love posts like this one. The waterfalls all look beautiful especially Nerstrand – saving for when I get to visit this part if the US.
So good to hear! I hope you get the opportunity to visit Minnesota and hike these easy trails to waterfalls. Hidden Falls at Nerstrand State Park is especially popular.
Great list! My kid likes easy hiking trails, and I love waterfalls, so win-win! I hope to make it back to Minnesota one day. It’s such a beautiful state!
Ok I think I’d want to see all of these! But to start the ones that would be at the top of my list are Cascade, Hidden, Minnehaha, and Ramsey Falls. All so beautiful!
I love posts like this- if I am going to hike, I want to see water!! I had no idea Minnesota had so many waterfalls! I knew it was the state of lakes, but it looks like every form of water!
Awesome! We’ve lived in Minnesota for nearly 30 years – and just recently hiked a few of these. I love that there are so many easy hiking trails that lead to scenic waterfalls so the beauty is accessible to everyone.
Thank you so kindly! Minnesota offers so many different types of waterfalls – all special in their own way…some like these are very easy…and then we have trails that are more moderate difficulty.
What a lovely collection of easy waterfall hikes! I love waterfalls and the walks that lead to it – easy ones like these. I have not been to Minnesota yet but when I do, I will look some of these waterfalls up. Awesome images. A very useful guide. 🙂
Wow, these are all gorgeous! I had no idea that there were so many waterfalls in Minnesota. I really need to visit there again! Thanks for sharing such a great article!
Thank you! I hope you get the opportunity to explore these easy hiking trails that lead to waterfalls in Minnesota. Gooseberry Falls is very popular and scenic.
These waterfall hikes in Minnesota look like a great addition to our itinerary! Is there a city we could visit, as our home base, that is close to a few of these?
Awesome! I’m based in the southern metro of the Twin Cities and all except those on the North Shore are within a day trip of where I live. For the North Shore waterfalls, Lutsen is a perfect centralized home base. We stayed at Caribou Highlands Lodge in Lutsen as our base camp – highly recommend.
What a fab list of waterfalls. I really loved High Falls, it looks so beautiful. It’s nice that all these trails are easy to complete too. Thanks for sharing.
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This is a great list of easy hikes with waterfalls in Minn. I hope I get to go on a few!
Thank you so kindly! I hope you get the opportunity to explore these short and easy waterfall hiking trails in Minnesota when you visit.
Wow, that is a lot of waterfall hikes in Minnesota. We love hard and easy hikes that follow or lead up to waterfalls.
I like to mix up the difficulty when hiking to waterfalls also. These are the best trails that are easy and short.
Trekking on hiking trails looking for waterfalls is so much fun. It looks like there are lots of great waterfalls in Minnesota.
We do have a lot of beautiful waterfalls in Minnesota. And these hiking trails are short and easy!
These would be the perfect hiking trails for me! They are easy and have the reward of a waterfall at the end!
If you love short and easy hikes that lead to waterfalls, then these in Minnesota are perfect. And very scenic.
This is a post to keep for sure. It was great to see such a good selection of easier hiking paths. And so many great waterfall sites too! Some of these would be good for day trips and others might even work for short road trip stops. Great to remind people that waterfalls are fun to see in the winter too.
Thank you! Loved pulling together this guide to some easy hikes in Minnesota that l ad to waterfalls. I especially love seeing the frozen waterfalls in winter.
I admittedly know very little about Minnesota, but I had no idea there were so many beautiful waterfalls across the state! I’d especially like to visit Cascades Falls and Minneopa Falls, and how charming is that area around Vermillion Falls? Just beautiful! Thanks for sharing – I’ll be sure to refer back if I ever plan a trip to Minnesota! Xx Sara
Thank you and my pleasure! We do have a lot of beautiful and charming waterfalls in Minnesota. And it’s nice there are easy hiking trails that lead to them making it accessible for most people.
I love a hiking trail with a waterfall! These all look incredible! Gooseberry Falls looks spectacular! So much bigger than the waterfalls we get in the UK! High Falls looks so dramatic too! Thanks for the great guide!
Thank you! It was fun putting together this Minnesota guide to easy hiking trails with waterfalls. I love Gooseberry Falls and High Falls at Grand Portage especially.
Aren’t waterfalls just mesmerizing?! This is a great list of hiking trails with waterfalls. My favorite was the one at Minneopa State Park. Just beautiful!
Thank you. The waterfalls in Minnesota are so mesmerizing. I think Minneopa Falls is my favorite also – it’s such an easy hike (more like a walk) and so majestic.
These waterfalls are amazing. I never knew that there were so many waterfalls in Minn.
Thank you so kindly! I didn’t realize we had so many beautiful waterfalls in Minnesota until I started hiking more locally during the pandemic.
What a detailed and specific list, I love posts like this one. The waterfalls all look beautiful especially Nerstrand – saving for when I get to visit this part if the US.
So good to hear! I hope you get the opportunity to visit Minnesota and hike these easy trails to waterfalls. Hidden Falls at Nerstrand State Park is especially popular.
Great list! My kid likes easy hiking trails, and I love waterfalls, so win-win! I hope to make it back to Minnesota one day. It’s such a beautiful state!
Perfect…that is a win-win! These are the best hiking trails in Minnesota that lead to beautiful waterfalls and are short and easy.
I was just up in Minnesota last weekend and visited Gooseberry Falls, definitely a beautiful spot!
Awesome! Gooseberry Falls is the most popular place for waterfalls in Minnesota.
Ok I think I’d want to see all of these! But to start the ones that would be at the top of my list are Cascade, Hidden, Minnehaha, and Ramsey Falls. All so beautiful!
Awesome! I hope you get the opportunity to hike these easy trails to beautiful waterfalls in Minnesota. All the ones you highlighted are stunning!
I love posts like this- if I am going to hike, I want to see water!! I had no idea Minnesota had so many waterfalls! I knew it was the state of lakes, but it looks like every form of water!
We do have a lot of water in Minnesota! and lots of beautiful waterfall hikes.
Easy hiking trails? And gorgeous views with waterfalls? I love that! Exactly what I needed 😍 Saved this already!
Awesome! And thank you! I hope you get a chance to hike these easy hiking trails in Minnesota that lead to beautiful waterfalls.
What a great list! I also live in Minnesota – there are several on here I haven’t visited yet. Can’t wait to check them out!
Awesome! We’ve lived in Minnesota for nearly 30 years – and just recently hiked a few of these. I love that there are so many easy hiking trails that lead to scenic waterfalls so the beauty is accessible to everyone.
I love waterfalls so this list really makes my day. Great variety of different types of waterfalls and streams.
Thank you so kindly! Minnesota offers so many different types of waterfalls – all special in their own way…some like these are very easy…and then we have trails that are more moderate difficulty.
What a lovely collection of easy waterfall hikes! I love waterfalls and the walks that lead to it – easy ones like these. I have not been to Minnesota yet but when I do, I will look some of these waterfalls up. Awesome images. A very useful guide. 🙂
Thank you so much! I hope you get the opportunity to visit Minnesota and go hiking on these easy trails that lead to beautiful waterfalls.
Wow, these are all gorgeous! I had no idea that there were so many waterfalls in Minnesota. I really need to visit there again! Thanks for sharing such a great article!
Thank you and my pleasure! I hope you get the opportunity to visit Minnesota again and check out all the beautiful waterfalls.
This collection of waterfalls is absolutely stunning! I love the fact that you have included trails that are a bit easier! Gorgeous photos!
Thank you so much! Although these Minnesota hiking trails are easy, the waterfalls are stunning!
I never realized how many beautiful sites of waterfalls there are in Minnesota. Thank you for the tour.
You’re welcome! So many beautiful and easy waterfall hikes in Minnesota.
We had no idea that there were that many hiking trails with waterfalls in Minnesota. These are great options to explore. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome and my pleasure. So many beautiful waterfalls in Minnesota – and these hiking trails are easy.
Loved reading about each of these so much! The Gooseberry Falls sound especially incredible – hope to try them out sometime soon. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I hope you get the opportunity to explore these easy hiking trails that lead to waterfalls in Minnesota. Gooseberry Falls is very popular and scenic.
These Minnesotan falls & trails look beautiful! I love going on waterfall hikes.
Me too! And these waterfall hikes in Minnesota makes it easy to do.
I had no idea there were so many easy hikes with waterfalls in MN! They are all lovely!
Thank you! Love all these beautiful hiking trails that lead to waterfalls in Minnesota. And many super easy to hike it even just a short walk.
These waterfall hikes in Minnesota look like a great addition to our itinerary! Is there a city we could visit, as our home base, that is close to a few of these?
Awesome! I’m based in the southern metro of the Twin Cities and all except those on the North Shore are within a day trip of where I live. For the North Shore waterfalls, Lutsen is a perfect centralized home base. We stayed at Caribou Highlands Lodge in Lutsen as our base camp – highly recommend.
What a fab list of waterfalls. I really loved High Falls, it looks so beautiful. It’s nice that all these trails are easy to complete too. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome and my pleasure. Minnesota offers a lot of beautiful and scenic waterfalls.