Minnemishinona Falls in October 2011

Mid-October is not always the best time to go looking for waterfalls. The snow has melted long ago, there isn’t a whole lot of precipitation, and the summer months have caused much of the water to evaporate. For some of the larger falls in any area, you may still see a waterfall, but in other cases, not much will be there.

Minnemishinona Falls (say that one time fast) had almost completely disappeared by mid-October 2011. Only a few trickles of water remained, making it rather difficult to even capture the falls. In earlier seasons, the falls might actually be impressive, but I can’t really say that from my experience.

This particular falls is also difficult to capture because of the viewpoint. You’re standing on a bridge with metal bars, and you’ve got to maneuver your camera at the right angle to get a shot. The falls are relatively easy to visit, though, as they are very close to Minneopa State Park (with Minneopa Falls inside). From the parking area, it is also only a short walk to the bridge. (Google Maps also shows another waterfall, Minnewankon Falls, not far from Minnemishinona Falls. It also seems to be surrounding by houses, so I would hazard to guess it’s on private property…)

Directions:

1. From Mankato, head west on US-14.
2. Turn left onto Nicollet County Road 41, which might also be signed as Rockford Road.
3. Rockford Road then turns into Judson Bottom Road.
4. Just after turning into Judson Bottom Road, you may notice a bridge off to your left going over a river. The falls are in front of that bridge. Continue just a short distance to a dirt parking area on your left. It may seem a little misleading because of the maintenance shed, but park here.
5. Head back to the bridge to view the falls.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 42′
Length of Hike: roadside

Where in the World is Minnemishinona Falls?