Spring fed · Iowa

Dunning's Spring Falls: When It Actually Flows

Q: Is Dunning's Spring Falls flowing right now?

Dunning's Spring run has no USGS gauge near the falls, so the seasonal pattern above is the flow guide for Dunning's Spring Falls, and City of Decorah Parks and Recreation (Dunning's Spring Park) is the source for current conditions on the ground.

Q: Does Dunning's Spring Falls ever dry up or get cut off?

No; the spring does not consult the weather. Flow varies modestly with the aquifer, and winter builds a celebrated ice formation over the still-running water.

Iowa's dependable one: a spring-fed cascade minutes from downtown Decorah, pouring cold aquifer water down a mossy limestone gorge in every season.

Year round

Big water window

see the season section

Spring fed

What drives it

Dunning's Spring run

Climatology

Data on this page

Dunning's Spring run is ungauged

City of Decorah

Managed by

their rules govern

Trail status, closures and safety rules belong to each falls' managing agency, named and linked on every page.

The season

What fills Dunning's Spring Falls, and when

The falls runs on Dunning's Spring itself, karst groundwater emerging cold and steady, so this is the rare Midwest falls that shrugs at drought and freezes into sculpture rather than stopping. The city of Decorah manages the park and documents the falls, the stone arch bridge, and the neighboring ice cave.

What the agency itself says

Dunning's Spring Park and Ice Cave Hill Park Size: 115 acres Amenities & Points of Interest: picnic table, cookout grill, bonfire grill, bench, scenic overlook, waterfall and stream, stone arch bridge, hiking trails, ice cave, historical information sign

City of Decorah Parks and Recreation (Dunning's Spring Park)

Multnomah Falls in two tiers behind Benson Bridge, framed by fall color in the Columbia River Gorge — Multnomah Falls in autumn: a Columbia Gorge falls that keeps respectable flow year round, and the standard against which most falls seasons get measured. “Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Multnomah Falls, fall color - 3” — Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region — Public domain

Right now

Current flow at Dunning's Spring Falls

Blue green travertine terraces below Havasu Falls with the falls dropping into the pool behind — Spring-fed water advertises itself: the travertine terraces below Havasu Falls are built by minerals the spring water carries out of the aquifer, and the blue green color holds in every season. “Havasu falls Arizona” — Stolz Gary M, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Public domain

Getting there

Access, in the agency's words and ours

From the gravel lot it is about a 200 yard walk up the paved drive to the falls, per the city, with the drive open for mobility drop-offs; Ice Cave Road is closed indefinitely to vehicles, per the same page.

Current access and closures: City of Decorah Parks and Recreation (Dunning's Spring Park).

A spring fed cascade pouring over mossy limestone — Aquifer water over limestone (Burney Falls, California). Dunning's Spring is Iowa's pocket edition, cold and constant behind downtown Decorah. “Burney Falls (6489840799)” by Prayitno / Thank you for (9 millions +) views from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY 2.0

Common questions

Dunning's Spring Falls flow season FAQ

When is the best time to see Dunning's Spring Falls at full flow?

Is Dunning's Spring Falls flowing right now?

Does Dunning's Spring Falls ever dry up or get cut off?

Who manages access to Dunning's Spring Falls?

City of Decorah Parks and Recreation (Dunning's Spring Park). From the gravel lot it is about a 200 yard walk up the paved drive to the falls, per the city, with the drive open for mobility drop-offs; Ice Cave Road is closed indefinitely to vehicles, per the same page. Trail status, closures and safety rules are theirs, and their page is linked on this one; nothing here overrides what they publish.

Lower Yosemite Fall in heavy spring flow with visitors on the boulder field below — Yosemite Falls in May, running on snowmelt that will be gone by late summer. The National Park Service tells visitors the falls can be dry by August, which is why every falls page here starts from its watershed. “Tourists below Yosemite Falls (39832011431)” by Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0

Keep planning

More falls, and the rest of the Iowa year

Things to do

Tours & activities near Dunning's Spring Falls

Guided trips and experiences from local operators.

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Places to stay

Stays near Dunning's Spring Falls

Vacation rentals and cabins close to the water.

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Waterfall season nationwideSnowmelt west, rain fed southeast, and the year-round exceptions.Iowa lakesStill water in the same state, with its own seasons.Iowa fall foliageLow water season is often peak color season. Pair them.

Flow windows are typical-year climatology drawn from the driver and the agency language quoted above, not forecasts. Live readings and per-date percentiles are U.S. Geological Survey data, public domain; the above-or-below-typical line is our comparison and is labelled as such. Access, trail and safety information belongs to City of Decorah Parks and Recreation (Dunning's Spring Park). National picture: waterfall season across the US →
Hero image: “Burney Falls (6489840799)” by Prayitno / Thank you for (9 millions +) views from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY 2.0