Spring fed · North Dakota

Mineral Springs Waterfall: When It Actually Flows

Q: Is Mineral Springs Waterfall flowing right now?

a spring-fed tributary of the Sheyenne River has no USGS gauge near the falls, so the seasonal pattern above is the flow guide for Mineral Springs Waterfall, and North Dakota Forest Service (Sheyenne River State Forest) is the source for current conditions on the ground.

Q: Does Mineral Springs Waterfall ever dry up or get cut off?

The spring keeps a trickle in most seasons; wet stretches raise it to its modest best. Come for the only-waterfall-in-the-state photograph and the valley views around it.

Q: Who manages access to Mineral Springs Waterfall?

North Dakota Forest Service (Sheyenne River State Forest). Four miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail cross the 509 acre state forest near Fort Ransom, per the agency, with the falls a walk-in destination along it. Trail status, closures and safety rules are theirs, and their page is linked on this one; nothing here overrides what they publish.

North Dakota's only waterfall, by the state forest service's own banner, a small spring-fed drop on the North Country Trail in the Sheyenne River valley.

Year round

Big water window

see the season section

Spring fed

What drives it

a spring-fed tributary of the Sheyenne River

Climatology

Data on this page

a spring-fed tributary of the Sheyenne River is ungauged

ND Forest Service

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 Mineral Springs Waterfall, and when

The agency's claim is delightfully unambiguous, quoted below: home to North Dakota's only waterfall. It is a small falls, spring-fed off the valley wall, taller after wet spells, and the state's superlative does the marketing.

What the agency itself says

The 509-acre Sheyenne River State Forest is located 1 mile south east of Fort Ransom, ND along the Sheyenne River National Scenic Byway. Our Most Visited State Forest Trail Home to North Dakota's Only Waterfall

North Dakota Forest Service (Sheyenne River State Forest)

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 Mineral Springs Waterfall

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

Four miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail cross the 509 acre state forest near Fort Ransom, per the agency, with the falls a walk-in destination along it.

Current access and closures: North Dakota Forest Service (Sheyenne River State Forest).

A small spring fed waterfall in green woodland — Spring-fed persistence (Burney Falls, California, at rather larger scale). North Dakota's only waterfall runs the same groundwater logic in miniature. “Burney Falls (6489840799)” by Prayitno / Thank you for (9 millions +) views from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY 2.0

Common questions

Mineral Springs Waterfall flow season FAQ

When is the best time to see Mineral Springs Waterfall at full flow?

Is Mineral Springs Waterfall flowing right now?

Does Mineral Springs Waterfall ever dry up or get cut off?

Who manages access to Mineral Springs Waterfall?

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 North Dakota year

Things to do

Tours & activities near Mineral Springs Waterfall

Guided trips and experiences from local operators.

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Places to stay

Stays near Mineral Springs Waterfall

Vacation rentals and cabins close to the water.

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Waterfall season nationwideSnowmelt west, rain fed southeast, and the year-round exceptions.North Dakota lakesStill water in the same state, with its own seasons.North Dakota 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 North Dakota Forest Service (Sheyenne River State Forest). 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