minneopa state park

We discovered Minneopa State Park as part of the winter scavenger hunt thru Checkpoint MN. There are two sections to the park.....one that takes you through a restored prairie area and up to the Seppman mill (Oldest structure in Blue Earth County). We were told that in the Fall 2015, the park will add a herd of buffalo to this prairie location. You can still hike the trails in this section up until next fall. I want to come back in the spring and take it all in! You can walk up to the mill, but can not go inside. Really a neat site. Loved the promise of the prairie. The campgrounds are located on this side of the park.The other section includes the Minneopa Falls.....stop by the Entrance Station and pick up a pass. (Small state park gift shop inside as well) Drive to the picnic area parking lot and walk the short distance to the bridge near the falls. We visited on a cold winter day, so the falls were frozen, but still beautiful. I can imagine that this area is absolutely gorgeous surrounded by autumn leaf color. The picnic area is all hardwoods..... Interpretive programs are offered through the year. Beautiful little park, we will be back!

our gps had trouble getting us to the falls part of the park. there's just a little brown sign pointing the turn. so if you are going north and get to the campgrounds entrance you have gone too far. the falls were pretty enough, and very easy walk. I think the signage in the park, and the maps could use a lot of work. but there were nice enough trails once we found some along the creek. we also ventured into the campground part of the park (this is all very disjointed). looks like a nice setup, there's even a camper cabin there. we wondered out to the old mill. was a nice look at the past. it looks like they are doing a lot of work in the park, especially in the falls area. so maybe the park will improve with more usage.

Like the campground, and can't wait till they introduce the buffalo part to the park next year. Quiet cozy

I took my MSU student here for the day. It was a great get away from the college campus. $5.00 to park, easy quick parking, beautiful views and a lovely simple hike to the falls.

We visited on Saturday, August 9, 2014 in the early afternoon. I grew up about 60 miles west of here and never knew about this Minnesota State Park.A one day vehicle pass is $5.00. A one year vehicle pass is $25.00. We chose the one day. The ranger has printed park maps at the pay station. She directed us to the the double waterfalls. There are ample areas for picnicking with many picnic tables and a covered shelter with tables and also restrooms available.Gravel parking area and then paved walkway toward the falls. The first falls is located near a newer concrete bridge. Then you cross the bridge and can look at the lower falls from there. We continued on the trail to rock steps that were built in 1937 by the WPA. The steps are steep and uneven, but there are handrails. We were very cautious.At the bottom of the steps is a new wooden bridge to cross the stream. The unfortunate problem is that the pollution from runoff from farms upstream in the watershed are killing fish and those dead fish are lying near that lower bridge. They do distract from the pleasure of this tranquil area due to the foul odor. I talked to the ranger and they do clean out the dead fish every day, but they simply can't keep up with the deaths. I suspect that in the spring with more water running over the falls and down the stream that this is less of a problem - the dead fish are simply washed further downstream.On the other side of this bridge is another set of rock stairs leading up to the other ridge near the stream. However, there is no sign that tells you that the trail on the top of the ridge is washed out and you cannot complete the loop back to the parking area. So down you go again and then have to climb up the original down steps - "Up the Down Staircase".This part of the park is so beautiful and quiet. The tree canopy makes this very tranquil and we had absolutely no problems with insects or mosquitoes.We then left this section and drove across the state highway to the northern side of the park; i.e. the camping area and Seppman Mill site. The mile or two to the Seppman site is a gravel road in the middle of a flat prairie. The signs tell you that the state is trying to get this area back to the original Minnesota prairie that the pioneers first saw. We loved the wild flowers and varied prairie grasses. The Seppman Mill site is well preserved and the view from across the valley is breathtaking. There is also a very informative sign describing the glacier action that created the Minnesota River Valley some 14,000 years ago. Peaceful view...For a mere 5-spot, we enjoyed a nice day in a quiet, beautiful state park..

The waterfalls are beautiful so I brang my family down there and kids were in water and there was dead fish everywhere then when we got back to top we seen a sign that talked about not going in the water because it was harmful waste or something like that. The lady could have told us when we bought the day pass! Im so NOT IMPRESSED

View of Falls from many different vantage points based on how far you want to explore. The path to the bottom of the falls is for people that like to explore a rocky area, with many twists and turns. The path involves stairs made of rock, a bridge and a path made from many visitors wearing it down. You can also view the Falls from above on a concrete path which is a nice view as well, wheelchair accessible.

I've lived within and hour and 15 minutes of this park for 15 years and have never visited. It is beautiful! We took my mid-seventies parents for a walk this afternoon and were able to hike right to the bottom of the fall. It was a slightly rooty and uneven walk, but well worth it.

Very pretty with two waterfalls, so make sure and walk beyond the bridge to see the second, more impressive waterfall. If you have small children and have to choose, go to Sibley Park instead, however, my 5 year old loved the falls too!

We were looking for somewhere to go to see the area sites and noticed (in a tourist book) that Minneopa State Park was nearby, so we drove out to see it. It's a beautiful park area and the roar of the falls could be heard from a distance, enticing us on. The river was high, due to recent rain, so it was especially impressive. The water moved swiftly over the falls and the mist was hanging over the walking bridge. It was a gorgeous sight! We're so glad that we stopped to see this scenic natural attraction.

Driving the scenic highway a long the Minnesota River youre likely to blink and miss a little brown sign simply stating "falls" above an arrow. If you happen to see it, stomp on your brakes and turn! Its just off the main road, and again lacking wayfinding. We drove past it twice before figuring out that there were no more "falls" signs, and didnt connect the Minneopa State Park with the falls. Guess ya gotta be a local... You absolutely need to stop and see it for an hour or so. Very friendly staff a t the ranger/visitor building.

My wife and I came here in August for a hike. We started out by going to the Seppmen mill. Nice piece of history here with informative plaques. The mill rises up from the hillside as you walk towards it, very epic. The geology of the area is very nice with large boulders strewn about the countryside. The wild flowers were really "poppin" when we came. Lots of eagles flying overhead. After the 4 mile roundtrip hike to the mill and back we crossed the road to go look at the waterfalls. They were very much like the Minnehaha falls in Minneapolis; Spectacular. Probably among the top 3 waterfalls in the state, depending on rainfall at the time. Very many scenic camera shots of the main falls and the smaller falls right above the large ones. Well worth the trip. Great hiking and great scenery.

awesome park with very helpful rangers.the waterfall was barely flowing so i would prob go earlier in the year so it is flowing more

with a small but attractive waterfall -- unless we're in a drought.We've enjoyed walking through it, and it's supposed to be good for camping.We used to take our kids there.

There are two really pretty waterfalls with picnic tables, a bridge crossing over them, and paths to walk along. You pay five dollars to park per car unless you have a state park pass, and there are plenty of trails to walk on. Its a great place for a date, outing, or get together.