Visiting from California.. After seeing Stone Bridge and walking around the trail, someone told us about the St Anthony Falls and 3 days before we arrived the state had an overflowing rain so the waterfall was wonderful. Great views, but it was very windy but was so worth it. One of my favorite places in Minnesota also Minnehaha Falls is beautiful too. Recommended it. read more

Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam - Hiking Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This is an amazing water feature! The path to the falls is lined with information panels and historical exhibits. The falls have an overview deck above them where you can get pretty close to the main falls. If you want to learn more, visit the visitor center on the west side of the river or try scheduling a tour of the lab. It's all free to visit. read more

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After enjoying the Stone Arch Bridge, I walked over to check out the lock and dam. I had opted to skip the tour and just walked around the lock and dam. Great views of the city and the river. I enjoyed just relaxing watching the river pass through the dam. There wasn't a boat passing through the lock which was okay. I've been through other locks. If you're in the area, check out the lock & dam. read more

Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam - Hiking Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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The Niagara Falls of the Mississippi River. Maybe I am exaggerating by calling it the Niagara Falls of the Mississippi River. However, I am anything but exaggerating by saying that it is the only falls along the Mississippi River and that it is a "Must See" when visiting the Twin Cities. It is so awesome that Louis Hennipen founded the city of Minneapolis here. Over the years the natural falls would be manipulated by locks and engineering structures during the early Minneapolis booming milling and lumber economy. St. Anthony Falls is both a photo and historic spot. The Least you ought to know. Yelping could be funny at times. During the process of writing my forty-plus Minneapolis area reviews, I shift from a deck of index cards. When the name of that place appears after the 60 second timer goes off, the place that comes up is the one I will review. Excluding Starbucks which will follow the place by it. Anyhows, out of the index cards "St. Anthony Falls" popped up. This is funny because the place I last reviewed was Old Stone Bridge which I viewed St. Anthony Falls from. Who says that Yelp cannot be a game of chance. What you ought to know. As my last review emphasized, the prime place to view St. Anthony Falls is from the Stone Arch Bridge. I think of the Stone Arch Bridge as a St. Anthony Falls observation deck over the Mississippi. Seeing the St. Anthony Falls from the Stone Arch Bridge is a "Must See" when in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities for that matter. It is a relatively short walk to the downtown hotels and the US Bank Transit Station. If you arrive by car, the closest place to park is the paid parking contiguous to the Stone Arch Bridge at Mill Ruins Park. Considering that we stayed in downtown, we walked to St. Anthony Falls. The best way to capture the St. Anthony Falls is on a loop hike. From downtown I recommend crossing over the Third Avenue Bridge on the eastbound sidewalk. This 44 foot high view provides a view of the only Falls on the Mississippi River rushing towards the picturesque Stone Arch Bridge. At the conclusion of the Third Avenue Bridge, I'd turn right along the Heritage Trail in the Historic St. Anthony East District. When I saw St. Anthony Falls the two different times, I passed over the Third Avenue Bridge because I did the longer loop hike. From here on in, resumes my firsthand experience. Continuing on the Heritage Trail to the right is Water Power Park. At the end of the park is a close up view of the falls. From this vintage point, you can see the waterfall from a perpendicular angle. And hear it too. There are benches to relax by the falls. Leaving Water Power Park, I suggest making a right and walking north on the Heritage Trail where the historic Pillsbury Building will be on the left. Off to the right I'd recommend a walk into the forested Hennepin Bluffs Park to experience the natural landscape in the vicinity of the falls. This side trip requires some climbing on wooden steps and decking some branches. Back on the Heritage Trail I'd bare to the right. The Heritage Trail will merge into the Stone Arch Bridge. Hiking it in a northwest direction will treat you to captivating vistas of the Falls. This is the prime spot to take in the St. Anthony Falls. Near the west end of the bridge there is a grand view of the lock. The Stone Arch Bridge will merge into the northbound Grand Rounds Trail and the Third Avenue Bridge will be ahead and downtown Minneapolis to the left. What it wouldn't hurt to know. Although the St. Anthony Falls is a mesmerizing Mississippi River attraction. I recommend combining it with nearby points of interest. This includes the parks I mentioned. It could also include the Mill ruins, Historic St. Anthony East Business District, or a Minnesota Vikings game. No matter how you see it, the St. Anthony Falls is a "Must See" when spending time in the Twin Cities. read more

Beautiful! My first time seeing water frozen like that. You can take a nice walk here and explore around! The falls were also such a pretty thing to see! read more

Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam - Hiking Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Really pretty area. There is a walking trail around the falls with great views of the fall, the flour mills, and Stone Arch Bridge. There are markers along the way with history about the area. I did the walk on a Sunday in January 2016 and the weather was lovely. Recommendation: Spend an hour walking around the falls and on the bridge. It's really pretty out there. There is a cool area in the middle. Go down the wooden stairs and you will find more nature to explore. read more

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We drove to the downtown area of Minneapolis to visit the Upper St Anthony Lock and Dam. The whole area was very interesting including the locks, stone bridge, the falls, and the adjacent old mill area. Park right off the parkway and hike down to the visitor center. In the back of the visitor center - take the elevator to the top level for great views of the river area. If you have time - hike out along the stone bridge for more great views of the area. I was amazed at how narrow the locks are ! All of the staff we encountered were very friendly and helpful. FYI - there are tours available of the lock and dam at several times during the day. We did not take the tour since the top level of the visitor center offered all the views we wanted. read more

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My review reflects the actual tour of the lock and dam. We had a large group and called ahead for our tour. Tours are offered daily at 11, 1, & 3. It doesn't seem necessary to call ahead. We had a great tour guide aptly named Forrest who was very knowledgeable about the history of the lock and dam and quite enthusiastic despite the rain that day, I suspect he's like this no matter what the weather is! ;). The lock is no longer in service so you do not see it fill with water and no boats go through it but you get to walk across the lock and see it from the other side and get another view of the falls. It's not a long tour and really depends on the size of the group and how many questions people have to determine how long it might take, since for safety reasons everyone crosses at the same time. You also have the option post-tour to go up into their visitor center overlook where they have more artifacts and photos. If you're scared of heights I suppose the tour could give you a little anxiety but there are plenty of bars to protect you from falling in. Walking across the actual lock you need to pay attention so you don't trip in the center. Otherwise it's pretty cool to see up a little closer and worth a trip if the timing is right and you find yourself down by the river enjoying all the nearby sites. read more

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