Last updated: April 5, 2024
Place
Winnewissa Falls
N. Barber
Quick Facts
Location:
Located 3/8 of a mile from the Visitor Center. Nearly the halfway point of the trail.
Significance:
A waterfall isn't something most visitors expect in the prairies. First painted in the 1830s, it's a favorite spot for photos today.
Amenities
3 listed
Audio Description, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible
Here, the trail crosses Pipestone Creek below Winnewissa Falls. According to one American Indian tradition:
“The Great Spirit called the warring nations together in the valley of the pipestone. There he pulled a piece of pipestone from the earth, formed a pipe and told them that it was the flesh and blood of their ancestors. He smoked the pipe over them and admonished them to lay down their arms. Here is a place where different tribes can quarry side by side together in harmony. While he was speaking, a waterfall poured from the rock nearby.” -Original storyteller unknown
**Please do not attempt to go into the water. It is contaminated and unfit for consumption or recreation.**
“The Great Spirit called the warring nations together in the valley of the pipestone. There he pulled a piece of pipestone from the earth, formed a pipe and told them that it was the flesh and blood of their ancestors. He smoked the pipe over them and admonished them to lay down their arms. Here is a place where different tribes can quarry side by side together in harmony. While he was speaking, a waterfall poured from the rock nearby.” -Original storyteller unknown
**Please do not attempt to go into the water. It is contaminated and unfit for consumption or recreation.**