How you can visit 6 stunning waterfalls in one day.

Iowa isn’t exactly blessed with an overwhelming number of waterfalls. In fact, most of them are spillways and other man-made structures. Your best chance of seeing the most natural waterfalls is to head to the far northeast corner of Iowa. It’s known as the driftless area because it was not impacted by the most recent glaciers. Missing out on the glacier left the terrain with more ruggedness, more hills, and more rock formations.

For this adventure, we are focusing on six waterfalls – five natural falls and one man-made, all of which can be conquered in a single day. All 6 locations are open to the public, however, only two locations have accommodations for handicap accessibility. I’d recommend starting with the least impressive and then finishing your day with the best waterfall in the state of Iowa.

Big Spring Nature Park in Guttenberg

• Address: Just north of Guttenberg on Clayton County X56
• Restrooms: Yes, porta-potty
• Water available: No
• Handicap Accessible: No

As you travel north out of Guttenberg on X56, there’s a small sign on the left side of the road for Big Spring Nature Park. There’s a small parking lot, along with a picnic shelter, and a porta-potty. From the parking lot, you’ll see the creek that runs down the hill towards the parking lot. There are a few interpretive signs providing information on the driftless area as well as specifically on Big Spring Nature Park. On the right side of the creek, there’s a narrow dirt trail that runs parallel to the creek and takes you up the hill.

As you climb the hill, you’ll encounter several opportunities to break off the trail to head down to the water. You’ll notice that there isn’t just a single waterfall – instead, it’s a series of smaller waterfalls. We recommend some shoes that you don’t mind getting wet, as well as long pants.

Bridal Veil Falls at Pikes Peak State Park in McGregor

• Address: 32264 Pikes Peak Road, McGregor, Iowa
• Restrooms: Yes
• Water available: Yes
• Handicap Accessible: No, the waterfall trail is not accessible, however, the two scenic overlooks are accessible.

From the parking lot, our first recommendation is to head to the observation decks which tower 500 feet over the Mississippi River. Then take the trail to Bridal Veil Falls, which starts out as a paved path and then changes out to a wooden boardwalk path. Once it changes to a boardwalk, you’ll start to see a number of steps, as the path declines down the hill to the waterfall. Along the way, you’ll pass the Crows Nest, a landing area that has a scenic view that looks northward up the river.

After the Crows Nest, the boardwalk will continue to descend down to the falls. The flow of the waterfall depends on local conditions, but it is typically flowing year-round – although it’s never overwhelming. In fact, this is probably the least water flow you’ll see on this one-day journey.

Beulah Falls in McGregor

• Address: 13299 Spook Cave Rd, McGregor
• Restrooms: No public restrooms
• Water available: No
• Handicap Accessible: Yes, in fact, the falls can be seen from your vehicle.

It’s located just inside the entrance of the Spook Cave Campgrounds on the right-hand side. The waterfall is unique because it’s actually viewable from your vehicle as you drive through the campgrounds. As you keep driving through the campgrounds, you’ll come up to Spook Cave, which has an admission price, but if you have the time, offers an underground boat tour through Spook Cave.

Malanaphy Springs State Preserve in Decorah

• Address: 2820 Bluffton Road, Decorah
• Restrooms: No
• Water available: No
• Handicap Accessible: No, the waterfall trail is not accessible

The parking lot is small and will only handle 5 or 6 cars, but you’ll commonly see additional cars on the side of the gravel road. The pathway is a simple dirt path and it’s about one mile to get to the falls. I remember there being a hand-crafted sign at the start of the trail warning you that the falls is not as close as you think – and that it might take 40 minutes to arrive. Well, that’s if takes you 40 minutes to walk a mile. The trail isn’t difficult, there are no steps or steep inclines. I don’t think the challenge is getting there – instead, the challenge starts when you arrive.

When you reach the falls, you’ll discover that it isn’t a traditional waterfall with one clear dropoff. Instead, you’ll find that it stair-steps its way down the hill and eventually drops off into the Upper Iowa River. If you choose to turn right and work your way up the hill, you can eventually find the spring that sources the falls. However, there is no clear trail in this area, so I highly recommend shoes that can get wet and/or muddy, as well as long pants.

If you want to see where the falls drop off into the river, then you’ll need to cross the water and look for an area to climb down the embankment. This area is everchanging, as each new rainfall can erode and change the landscape. Again, best to wear shoes that can get wet or muddy, as well as long pants. You may also encounter canoes or kayaks, as this is a frequent stop for them, as they can more easily reach the base of the waterfall from the river.

Siewer Springs in Decorah

• Address: 2321 Siewer Spring Road, Decorah
• Restrooms: No
• Water available: No
• Handicap Accessible: Yes and No. There is not a handicapped-accessible path to the base of the falls, however, the road that leads to the falls is accessible and the falls can be seen from the bridge that crosses the trout stream.

This is the man-made waterfall on our list, as its a spillway that holds back water from a spring before it empties out into a small trout stream. It’s located behind the Decorah Fish Hatchery, which makes it very accessible. The falls themselves are only a few feet tall, but overall it’s a very pretty setting with benches available to enjoy the view or to test your luck out with trout fishing.

Dunnings Spring in Decorah

• Address: Turn on Quarry Street, which eventually becomes Ice Cave Road.
• Restrooms: No
• Water available: No
• Handicap Accessible: Yes and No. There is a paved path up to the falls, and although they no longer allow parking at the falls, you can drive to the falls to drop off individuals with mobility limits. However, there is no handicapped path at the base of the falls, but it can be easily seen from the area around the parking lot.

We’ve saved the best for last. Dunnings Spring is the tallest and best waterfall in the state of Iowa, with a 200-foot drop. Of course, the drop stair steps its way down, however, this means that people can wade through the falls, assuming that the water flow isn’t overwhelming.

There are two paths that you’ll want to explore. The first is to cross the stone arched bridge at the base of the falls, it will lead up the left-hand side to an observation area that overlooks the falls. The second option is to climb the rocks on the right side of the falls (depending on water flow, of course). For this option, there isn’t a trail, you just climb the rocks. Probably best to bring shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and perhaps a towel to dry off with.

Bonus waterfall: Toppling Goliath Brewing

• Address: 1600 Prosperity Road, Decorah
• Restrooms: Yes
• Water available: Yes, and plenty of beer
• Handicap Accessible: Yes

For your bonus waterfall, or should I say beerfall, head to Prosperity Road to visit Topping Goliath Brewing. They have a large selection of drinks and a food menu as well.

Do you have a map showing how to travel between each of the waterfalls?

Yes, here’s a google map showing the locations: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/embed?mid=18fXfgdgQsP1KIzEZpFKRkHQaNdJdh4s&ehbc=2E312F

Do you have a recommended timeline for visiting all 6 waterfalls in one day?

In general, I recommend starting with the least impressive and working toward the best. When we shift to Decorah for the last three waterfalls, I prefer to start at Malanaphy Falls first, as this is the hardest to reach and potentially the location where you might get the dirtiest and probably sweat the most. Finishing at Dunnings Spring is preferable as it’s the best waterfall in the state, and I’ve always found it to be a refreshing site. Best to end on a good note.

Possible timeline:

9 am: Arrive at Big Spring Nature Park in Guttenberg, 30 minutes to explore

9:30 am: leave Big Spring Nature Park and travel to Pikes Peak State Park (travel time is just under 30 minutes)

10 am: Arrive at Pikes Peak State Park, and plan on 1.5 hours, as you’ll need time to explore the overlooks and hike to the falls.

11:30 am: Leave Pikes Peak and head into McGregor for lunch, we’re giving you 1.5 hrs for lunch

1 pm: Leave McGregor and travel to Malanaphy Falls in Decorah, travel time is 1 hour

2 pm: Arrive at Malanaphy Falls, provide 1.5 hours at this location, 30 minutes to hike to the falls, 30 minutes at the falls, then a 30-minute hike back

3 pm: Leave Malanaphy Falls and travel to Siewer Springs, travel time is 15 minutes

3:15 pm Arrive at Siewer Falls and take 45 minutes to explore, as you’ll need to stop at the Fish Hatchery to see the ponds of rainbow trout as well as the falls.

4 pm: Leave Siewer Falls and drive to Dunning Springs, travel time is 15 minutes)’

4:15 pm Arrive at Dunnings Spring, plan one hour to explore

5:15 pm Leave Dunning Spring and head to Toppling Goliath Brewing or any other destination in Decorah.