Welcome to Minneopa!
Minneopa State Park is located five miles west of Mankato in Blue Earth County, Minnesota (off U.S. Highway 169 and State Highway 68). A highlight of the park is southern Minnesota’s largest waterfalls (photo above). The park includes 1,653 acres of old glacial river terraces on the south side of the Minnesota River and the beautiful Minneopa Creek gorge.

Changing with the seasons, the scenic double falls of Minneopa Creek can be enjoyed from numerous vantage points along trails and walkways. See the waterfalls in different seasons (photos). Hikers and cross-country skiers will enjoy the opportunity to stretch out on trails through woodlands, floodplains, oak savannas, and grasslands. Birders will be delighted to find species from woods and prairie in one park (see the bird counts).

Minneopa - Water Falling Twice
The word Minneopa means "water falling twice" in the Dakota Indian language. This double waterfall is the result of Minneopa Creek cutting into and eroding layers of Jordan sandstone at different rates. In all, the water drops 45 feet. The deep gorge below the falls was formed by Minneopa Creek downcutting and removing soft sandstone.

Since the end of the last ice age, Minneopa Creek has carved a ravine through sandstone bedrock, creating a spectacular double waterfall. Sometimes roaring, sometimes a trickle, these falls have been an attraction for hundreds of years. In 1905 the state legislature passed a law establishing Minneopa State Park to set aside the area around Minneopa Falls for public use. Later purchases expanded the park to its present-day size. Hear a musical piece that was inspired by the falls!