Hidden Falls
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
Today I visited a Minnesota state park that I’ve been meaning to go to for years, and I’m glad I did. I had forgotten there was a quaint little waterfall here, vaguely remembering that I had seen it in photos a few years back. It’s March in Minnesota, and finally warm enough that the snow is melting a bit more every day and that I can bring out my spring & fall attire again.
It’s still chilly in the valleys and you can feel the drop in temperature as you hike down into them. Most of the length of Prairie Creek is still frozen over, but there are places where the ice has melted away and the water can be seen flowing. The waterfall itself is still frozen, but you can hear the muffled sound of the creek flowing behind the ice.
The waterfall is roughly 20 feet tall, or just over 6 meters, and falls over a ledge of the half-billion year old Platteville Limestone formation. I’d love to come back in a few more weeks and see the spring torrent, but I bet access might be restricted in times of high water.
