High Falls thunders through this scenic gorge on the way to Lake Superior.
Minnesota's 7,000 rivers often lead to or from a waterfall, and you can choose your favorite on a tour of the state, from the far southwest to the rolling bluffs of the Driftless Area, through the big cities and central regions, to Duluth and the unforgettable North Shore, and beyond to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. You can explore waterfalls large and small, in remote, wild lands and busy urban centers, all the while uncovering lots of secrets and making acquaintance with the state's moving landscapes.
Instructions
1. Choose a location for "waterfalling." Plan ahead to make each visit a good one. Expect weather common to the area, and plan accordingly. Bring extra water to the drier and warmer southern regions, and be ready for cold winds and impromptu rainstorms along the North Shore. Prairie and hardwood forests are common in the central and southern parts of the state, and dense pine woods and dramatic falls are the name of the game up north, especially along the epic North Shore of Lake Superior. The northern shoreline of Superior boasts 150 miles of unforgettable vistas and quaint towns and secret hideaways. It is decorated with eight dazzling state parks, as well, from Gooseberry Falls to the Canadian border, offering some of the very best in liquid North Country scenery. We'll visit four of the best here.
2. Visit Gooseberry Falls State Park, one Minnesota's most popular state parks, highlighted by three dramatic waterfalls. Upper Falls thunders 30 feet over a shallow crescent of rock ledges nestled in a vibrant grove of tall cedar and pine with dapples of birch and aspen. The main overlook offers a superb, head-on view, and a trail through the cedars leads right to the crest of the falls.
3. Takes the Day Hill Trail at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. This leads to Split Rock Creek Falls, a small waterfall light on drama but well worth a visit with extraordinary scenery, stunning views of Lake Superior and access to miles of additional hiking. The creek is a perfect rendition of a babbling brook as it murmurs beneath a wooden bridge and down a narrow gap in a shallow rock gorge. The waterfall drops easily over a jumble of square-faced rocks and ledges at various angles that funnel through a narrow chute and into a small plunge pool.
4. Imagine the Baptism River as it winds its way from the Sawtooth Mountains through a rugged land of rocks and woods en route to Lake Superior. Think back about one billion years to get a feel of these basaltic lava flows tilting upward from far beneath Lake Superior (long before there was water there). High Falls is the aptly named highest waterfall within Minnesota. An impeccably maintained hiking trail from the park's campground wanders through enchanting stands of stately aspen, birch and maple and clusters of young pine, to a long boardwalk stairway leading down the ridge right to the top of the falls. Climb an impressive set of stairs, and you'll be are rewarded with a head-on look at the gorgeous falls plummeting 90 feet into a wide pool.
5. Visit the Brule River in far northern Minnesota. The river begins to step lively as it closes in on Lake Superior, then rages toward a massive blockade of rock and splits into two forks. One plummets into a narrow chute and blasts out to a plunge pool 50 feet below. The other simply vanishes. In a raging torrent that explodes with frightening velocity, this fork of the river rushes into a gigantic pothole, thundering with the echo of the violent deluge, and is gone from view. Frightening, if you think about it, but an impressive sight.
Tags: Lake Superior, North Shore, Falls thunders, Gooseberry Falls, High Falls, narrow chute