Minnehaha Falls, Minnehaha Trail, Minnesota
At the northern terminus of the five-mile
Minnehaha Trail in Minneapolis, less than a mile
before the pathway reaches the Mississippi River,
Minnehaha Creek takes a major tumble—53 feet,
to be exact—as it becomes Minnehaha Falls. The
trail offers an excellent viewpoint from above.
There are also side paths that descend from the
bluff to the base of the falls.
Laura Domyancich, project and land technician
for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, says
that Minnehaha is a “flashy” creek; it peaks after
major precipitation events and then drops a few
days later. In spring 2014, the creek pushed the
discharge gauge to the tippy-top; 900 cubic feet
per second of water shot off the top of the falls!
Limestone rock frame the waterfall, adding
to the impressive scene. And while poet Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow never visited Minnesota,
that didn’t keep him from being inspired by
the falls. In fact, the waterfall in Longfellow’s
1855 poem “The Song of Hiawatha” was based
on this Minnesota beauty. Today, a sculpture of
Minnehaha and Hiawatha, two of the poem’s
characters, stands near the waterfall.
Henry Tsay
Keith thomas
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