Ahhh, spring. After winternity, the sunshine has never felt so good, so deserved. The drip, drip, drip of melting snow and the sound of water running down gutters and streets is music to the ears. Another welcome sign of spring is the “de-thawing” of Minnehaha Falls, when the snowmelt really rejuvenates one of the prettiest waterfalls in town. (So pretty that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalized the falls as the “laughing water” in his 1855 The Song of Hiawatha poem.)
Located at the intersection of Minnehaha Avenue, Minnehaha Parkway and Godfrey Ave (just east of Highway 55/Hiawatha avenue) in Minneapolis, Minnehaha Falls is a 53-foot waterfall in Minnehaha Park. The waterfall itself is formed by Minnehaha Creek, which flows to the Mississippi River from Lake Minnetonka.
The falls can be a pretty backdrop to biking (you can rent a bike if you don’t own one), hiking or running among the oak, elm, silver maple, basswood, hackberry and cottonwood trees; enjoying ice cream, a meal, or local brew at the wildly popular Sea Salt Seafood Eatery—open for the season April 11); or going to a music in the park concert this summer.
Minnehaha Falls is at its scenic best in spring. If you plan on taking photos, there are tricks to getting good shots. According to the Washington Trails Association, you should switch out of “auto,” use a tripod, go when the sun is low, and practice, practice, practice. *The waterfalls along the North Shore are also beautiful this time of year.
