Must-See Waterfall Hike at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
Every year, thousands of people head outside as part of the National Get Outdoors Day initiative to encourage unplugging and stepping into nature.
All of Minnesota’s 76 State Parks participate in the program, which started in 2008 in coordination with the USDA Forest Service.
Now over 140 different parks participate in the program nationwide. Most participating locations in Minnesota offer coordinating nature activities at the parks.
If you’re searching for a park with hiking and cool sights close to the Twin Cities, perhaps a MN State Park with a waterfall, consider Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.
It’s only an hour drive south of the Twin Cities. The park has a waterfall trail that’s only a mile long, making it suitable for families with kids. The terrain accommodates little feet.
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park is easy to find, just off Hwy 35. The park is described as an “island of trees amongst the prairie.” They were right.
As you drive through the farmland, you might start to question if there really are some ‘Big Woods’ out there. Then, out of nowhere, you find yourself driving through a forest.
Not something you would expect in Southern Minnesota. Since it can get hot, arrive early and start your adventure.
The State Park, like many others in Minnesota, offers a lot of different activities to entertain their guests. Nerstrand Big Woods State Park has 11 miles of hiking trails to explore.
For a little more fun, you can borrow a GPS unit from the welcome center and try out some of the geocaching locations they have onsite.
Like the geocaching at Myre-Big Island State Park, the geocaching has visitors following paths on the GPS unit.
They stay on the trail and work like a scavenger hunt. Once you reach the first location, you’ll be directed to the next.
Like most Minnesota State Parks, they also have camping facilities. During the winter they also have cross-country ski trails and some snowmobile access.
Hiking Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Waterfall Trail
Our plan for this trip was all about the Waterfall. The trail is about 1 mile long and does a complete loop so no backtracking is necessary. The gravel trail is well-marked and a little hilly.
The kids managed fine. The trail took us deeper into the forest allowing the trees to provide plenty of shade and kept some of the heat down. The only downside is that the trees also kept the humidity in.
The kids were so excited to be out in the woods. We found woodpeckers, bunnies, squirrels, slugs, rushing water, and wind rustling the branches.
It was nice to hear those things again. It didn’t take us long to find the falls. They allow you to get as close as you want to the water.
The waterfall was a one drop, a little higher than our heads. Because of the rain we had recently, it was very active. What made this waterfall so special was the access to the water provided.
With the ability to get up close to it, we found it to be very refreshing on our hot journey. The waterfall trail is part of the MN State Parks Hiking Club trail.
The Journey Back
The one downside to this path was the hills going back up. Normally they wouldn’t be that big of a deal. But when your two-year-old just expended all of his energy to hike down there, you have no choice but to carry him back up. Despite having to carry him the half mile back to the car, it was a lot of fun.
If you didn’t get the opportunity to take advantage of National Get Outdoors Day on June 7, 2025, you can head out to any park for the day with a $7 parking permit. Or better yet, get the annual pass for $35.
I could definitely see using it. Nerstrand Big Woods State Park was a lot of fun for what we wanted and it’s a stamp for our MN State Parks Passport. For us, it was a great little trip!
