Minnesota's Best Waterfalls

Minnesota's waterfalls are concentrated on the North Shore of Lake Superior, where streams descend the Sawtooth Mountains to the lake over basalt and rhyolite ledges.

High Falls of the Baptism River (70 ft) — Tettegouche SP
The highest waterfall entirely within Minnesota — a 70-foot plunge of the Baptism River over a basalt ledge in Tettegouche State Park. The 1-mile hike from the park's inland trailhead passes through boreal forest to the falls overlook. The falls are visible from the river gorge bridge; a short scramble gives the base view.

Gooseberry Falls (multiple, total 115 ft) — Gooseberry Falls SP
Five separate falls in 1 mile — the Upper Falls (60 ft) and Middle Falls (50 ft) are the most dramatic. The basalt canyon walls and the Lake Superior view from the river mouth make Gooseberry the most complete waterfall park in Minnesota.

Cascade Falls (900 ft over 2 miles) — Cascade River SP
The most dramatic sequence of waterfalls in Minnesota — the Cascade River drops 900 feet in the last 2 miles before entering Lake Superior in a series of cascades through a narrow basalt canyon. The Cascade River Loop (3 miles) passes all the major falls. The canyon narrows to 10 feet in places.

Devil's Kettle Falls — Judge C.R. Magney SP
The split waterfall where one channel (the Kettle) disappears into a basalt pothole — now resolved by dye tracing (the water surfaces downstream), but still dramatically mysterious in appearance.

Minnesota Falls (Lower Sioux)
On the Minnesota River west of Morton — a small but significant waterfall on the site of historic Native American significance. The Lower Sioux Agency historic site and the Jackpot Junction Casino are nearby.