Waterfalls (Duluth, Ramsey, Pipestone: rent, camp, dangerous)

[garnett_21]

My wife and I both enjoy waterfalls, and are looking for more to visit around the state, especially the southern half - we know of the common/more well known ones - Minneopa, Minnehaha, Ramsey Falls, Minnemishinona, the one in Pipestone, Nerstrand Big Woods - but would like to learn of more.

[Unsettomati]

Originally Posted by garnett_21

My wife and I both enjoy waterfalls, and are looking for more to visit around the state, especially the southern half - we know of the common/more well known ones - Minneopa, Minnehaha, Ramsey Falls, Minnemishinona, the one in Pipestone, Nerstrand Big Woods - but would like to learn of more.

The highest concentration of waterfalls you'll find in the state is along the North Shore.

The inland elevation of notherneastern Minnesota generally varies between 1300' and 2000', while the shore of Lake Superior - the lowest point in the state - is at 600'. The higher elevations approach fairly close to the lake, so there's a dramatic drop in the North Shore streams that run into the lake over the last few miles to their mouths.

There are eight state parks between Duluth and the Canadian border. All of them have waterfalls, and typically they have several. The first state park up from Duluth (and thus also the most crowded) is Gooseberry Falls. It has several impressive falls. The last park is Grand Portage, right on the border. The border itself is the Pigeon River, and its High Falls are the highest waterfall in the state.

And all the parks in between have waterfalls.

Note: the North Shore streams are most impressive during spring snowmelt and after major rains. Some of them dwindle to a relative trickle as summer passes. But the parks are always great destinations.

As for southern Minnesota, the pickings are going to be slim. It's just the nature of the geography.

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by Unsettomati

The highest concentration of waterfalls you'll find in the state is along the North Shore.

The inland elevation of notherneastern Minnesota generally varies between 1300' and 2000', while the shore of Lake Superior - the lowest point in the state - is at 600'. The higher elevations approach fairly close to the lake, so there's a dramatic drop in the North Shore streams that run into the lake over the last few miles to their mouths.

There are eight state parks between Duluth and the Canadian border. All of them have waterfalls, and typically they have several. The first state park up from Duluth (and thus also the most crowded) is Gooseberry Falls. It has several impressive falls. The last park is Grand Portage, right on the border. The border itself is the Pigeon River, and its High Falls are the highest waterfall in the state.

And all the parks in between have waterfalls.

Note: the North Shore streams are most impressive during spring snowmelt and after major rains. Some of them dwindle to a relative trickle as summer passes. But the parks are always great destinations.

As for southern Minnesota, the pickings are going to be slim. It's just the nature of the geography.

This is excellent advice. I strongly recommend a trip to the North Shore. My favorite rivers for waterfalls are the Cascade, the Temperance, and the Baptism Rivers. They are approximately 1 to 1.5 hours northeast of Duluth. Even Duluth, itself, has some nice waterfalls on the Lester River (among others).

The rivers of the North Shore remind me a lot of the Pacific NW. When I was younger, I fell in love with them. I then travelled the world and thought that those MN rivers would seem unimpressive in comparison to what I'd seen in OR, WA, CA and in Europe, Latin America and Asia. I was wrong. They still seem very impressive to me.

[Kayekaye]

Look at this
Minnesota Waterfalls - Steve Johnson, Kenneth Belanger - Google Books

[demtion35]

Duluth has many waterfalls, also many of the famous waterfalls of Minnesota are in the BWCA, some of which are the
Partridge Falls, just past the famous Stairway Portage,

Wheelbarrow Falls

Basswood Falls

Devils Cascade

and the Vermillion Falls which is in the SNF.

Near the Minnesota border but in the Canadian side of the Park are Curtain Falls, and Rebecca Falls.

[wamer27]

There's a waterfall on the Baptism river up hwy 1 about a mile inland from hwy 61 where people always jump off it. Locals told us about it with no signage on road just a random dirt parking lot and short hike down to it where the trail comes out at the top of it. It was too high for me to take the jump. Isn't there a higher one up Devils track river near Grand Marais, but you can only get to it when the river is frozen? Devil's Kettle Falls is by far my favorite and most unique waterfall I've ever seen anywhere. It boggles your mind....

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by wamer27

There's a waterfall on the Baptism river up hwy 1 about a mile inland from hwy 61 where people always jump off it. Locals told us about it with no signage on road just a random dirt parking lot and short hike down to it where the trail comes out at the top of it. It was too high for me to take the jump. Isn't there a higher one up Devils track river near Grand Marais, but you can only get to it when the river is frozen? Devil's Kettle Falls is by far my favorite and most unique waterfall I've ever seen anywhere. It boggles your mind....

The Baptism waterfall I was just at days ago is 80 feet high. I didn't see anyone jumping off of it, but there was a couple that had courageously (dangerously?) crossed the river to a rock in the middle right at the edge. We watched them cross back over and the current very nearly took the young lady over. The folly of youth.

As for cliff jumping, I seem to remember that the Temperance is the best, followed by the Cascade. The Temperance was ripping pretty hard last week, though. You'd better not miss your exit spot!

[wamer27]

Originally Posted by Campeador

The Baptism waterfall I was just at days ago is 80 feet high. I didn't see anyone jumping off of it, but there was a couple that had courageously (dangerously?) crossed the river to a rock in the middle right at the edge. We watched them cross back over and the current very nearly took the young lady over. The folly of youth.

As for cliff jumping, I seem to remember that the Temperance is the best, followed by the Cascade. The Temperance was ripping pretty hard last week, though. You'd better not miss your exit spot!

The waterfall I was referencing is Illegen Falls and it's about a mile upstream from the 80 ft falls you saw. You can rent a cabin right by it (perfect location)

Illgen Falls Cabin in Tettegouche State Park on the North Shore

I know of another very long cascading waterfall near Beaver Bay a Two Harbors local told us to camp at. Not many tourists know about it (it's great because it's hidden and not well known, and it isn't in a state park etc...so no terrible rules)

The first waterfall you can barely see up the gorge at Temperance river is cool, hidden as you leave the hwy and walk upstream. We saw a big tree branch spanning the gorge about 20 ft above the water few years ago. Was the spring runoff that high that water was near the top????

There's another hidden waterfall as you leave Grand Marais going towards Duluth, the first river you cross after you leave, if you pull to side of hwy 61 ons the lakeside there's a half decent falls and the land side has a kinda cool cascade.

[demtion35]

Originally Posted by wamer27

The waterfall I was referencing is Illegen Falls and it's about a mile upstream from the 80 ft falls you saw. You can rent a cabin right by it (perfect location)

Illgen Falls Cabin in Tettegouche State Park on the North Shore

I know of another very long cascading waterfall near Beaver Bay a Two Harbors local told us to camp at. Not many tourists know about it (it's great because it's hidden and not well known, and it isn't in a state park etc...so no terrible rules)

The first waterfall you can barely see up the gorge at Temperance river is cool, hidden as you leave the hwy and walk upstream. We saw a big tree branch spanning the gorge about 20 ft above the water few years ago. Was the spring runoff that high that water was near the top????

There's another hidden waterfall as you leave Grand Marais going towards Duluth, the first river you cross after you leave, if you pull to side of hwy 61 ons the lakeside there's a half decent falls and the land side has a kinda cool cascade.

Leaving Grand Marais are you talking of Cross River?

That falls is powerfull, at the small reststop with a plaque to read nearby that tells the story of a missionary and his native guide that got blown across Lake Superior in a storm in a canoe in the 1800's, where they landed at Cross River where they erected a cross in thanks.

Father Baraga

[wamer27]

Originally Posted by demtion35

Leaving Grand Marais are you talking of Cross River?

That falls is powerfull, at the small reststop with a plaque to read nearby that tells the story of a missionary and his native guide that got blown across Lake Superior in a storm in a canoe in the 1800's, where they landed at Cross River where they erected a cross in thanks.

Father Baraga

It's called Fall River and there isn't even a bridge crossing the river (water flows under hwy through a culvert) or a place to park other then the gravel/grass shoulder. We just randomly stopped there once and looked around. Cross River is an awesome sight!