Waterfalls help make an already-pretty landscape truly picturesque. These water spectacles are found not only in high mountainous regions but also in all sorts of landscapes and terrain. Minnesota, a comparatively flat state, has many beautiful waterfalls that are worth a visit. Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, and other upper Midwest states also have their own plentiful supply of waterfalls.
Stretching the boundary to the north, Canada is home to one of the world’s most magnificent and renowned waterfalls—Niagara, shared with New York. Get your passports ready, because as fabulous as that water spectacle is, Niagara Park, located in Ontario, offers much more than a water show. Did you know, for instance, that visitors can zip line to the falls? That’s not for everyone, of course, but it’s one of the many things to do at this scenic park. More group activities include visiting the park’s botanical gardens, butterfly conservatory, floral showhouse, and nature center. For the history buffs in your group, there’s also historic homes to visit, as well as Old Fort Erie.
A visit is incomplete without a cruise on the water that will get your members up close to the falls (rain jackets provided). More activities include riding the century-old cable car that goes from Colt’s Point to Thompson’s Point and back again, providing panoramic views of the Niagara Gorge. “Looking downstream,” according to the park, guests can catch a glimpse of the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant “built into the side of the gorge on the American side.”
And now that you’re back in the U.S., how about those Midwest waterfalls?
Land of Many Waterfalls
Minnesota, known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, doesn’t have quite as many waterfalls as it does lakes, but it has plenty that are worth a visit. “Minnesota has some amazing waterfalls all throughout the state,” says Jake Juliot, communications specialist with Explore Minnesota. “Whether it’s in Minneapolis at Minnehaha Falls or up the North Shore at Gooseberry Falls, waterfalls are a great accessible activity for groups looking to stretch their legs and get back to nature.”
Gooseberry Falls State Park, located on the North Shore of Lake Superior, has a visitor center and nature store, historic log and tone structures, and accessible multiuse trails. And, of course, waterfalls that are picture perfect. Grand Portage Waterfall, located in Grand Portage State Park, is Minnesota’s tallest waterfall with accessible views, according to Explore Minnesota. It offers a half-mile, wheelchair-accessible paved trail to High Falls. For those wishing to walk more, there’s a 3 1/2-mile hiking trail to Middle Falls with ridgetop views of Lake Superior and Canada.
Also in the northern part of the state is Voyageur National Park, with a landscape that has been described as “breathtaking.” In typical Minnesota fashion, water plays a big part, making up more than one-third of the park’s 218,000 acres. Explore Minnesota says most of the park’s interior is accessible only by boat, but visitors can rent a houseboat or take a boat tour. There are plenty of trails from which waterfalls are visible, as are ancient petroglyphs. On clear nights it also is a great place to view the Northern Lights.
Head to the Twin Cities where a natural 53-foot waterfall decorates a spot in bustling Minneapolis. Called Minnehaha Falls, located in Minnehaha Park at the intersection of Hiawatha Avenue and Minnehaha Parkway, this venue is near the Mississippi River. The 193-acre park is popular with locals, but it has a fame that reaches beyond state borders, attracting almost 1 million visitors annually who come here to see the falls and experience this unique setting. There’s more to do here than viewing a waterfall. Visit the Longfellow House, built in 1906 in honor of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The house is a replica of the poet’s home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has served in many roles over the years—zoo, library, haunted house. It currently serves as an interpretive center for the Minneapolis Park System. For food, park visitors can get their fill at the Sea Salt Eatery.
Credit: Unsplash/Dillon Austin
Memorable Falls
Other Midwest states have their own water spectacles. One of the most accessible waterfalls in Michigan, called the Tahquamenon Falls, lies in the Upper Peninsula. At 50 feet tall and 200 feet wide, it is one of the state’s largest falls, and according to Pure Michigan “the most interesting and among the most accessible.” Here, visitors can also enjoy wildlife viewing and the on-site brewpub and restaurant. In Richmond, Indiana, put Thistlethwaite Falls on your itinerary. Named after explorer Timothy Thistlethwaite, it has been voted one of the best waterfalls in the state. Another is at Turkey Run State Park, where natural geological wonders abound. Here, there’s also the Col. Richard Lieber Cabin, which, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, “commemorates the contributions of the father of Indiana’s state park system.”
In Iowa, visit Dunnings Springs at Dunnings State Park in Decorah, which attracts visitors far and wide not only for the falls but also the nearby Ice Cave, a great place to cool off amidst summer’s rising temperatures. But there are many other group-friendly waterfalls in the Hawkeye State, according to Jessica O’Riley, tourism communications manager for Travel Iowa. A waterfall she suggests is Bridal Veil Falls at Pikes Peak State Park in McGregor, which she describes as an easy 1-mile roundtrip trail from the parking lot. Another is the Briggs Woods Waterfall in Webster City. “Visiting Iowa’s waterfalls are a great way to get out and explore the state’s natural spaces,” she says. “Some require a short walk to get to them, but the views are worth the effort.”
By Andrew Weeks
Main Image: Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Credit: Explore Minnesota
