Before you go
A Boundary Waters permit is required for every visit: a free self-issued permit for day trips, and a reserved quota permit with per-person fees for overnight trips from May 1 to September 30. The falls are reached by canoe, about 5 river miles from the Echo Trail, not by a hiking trail.
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About Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls is a small cascade on the Little Indian Sioux River in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, where the river runs through split rock below a pine-topped ledge. It is reached by canoe, about 5 river miles upstream (south) of the Little Indian Sioux River South entry point (Entry Point 9) on the Echo Trail northwest of Ely. Paddlers pass it on a 10-rod portage on the way toward the Little Pony River and Bootleg Lake.
The Setting
Sioux Falls sits at 1,365 feet within Superior National Forest, in the foothills of Minnesota.
Trail & Hike Details
USFS Trail
SIOUX RIVER SOUTH ENTRY #6087
Trail Class
Developed
Surface
Avg Grade
USFS Segment
0.03 miTrail Description
There is no hiking trail to the falls. From the Echo Trail parking lot, an 8-rod portage crosses the road to the river landing; from there it is about 5 miles of upstream paddling to a short 10-rod portage around the falls.
What to Expect
Dogs are welcome.
Accessibility
Reachable only by canoe with portages; not suitable for visitors with limited mobility.
Frequently Asked Questions
🐶 Are Dogs Allowed at Sioux Falls?
✅ Dogs are allowed
Dogs are allowed in the Boundary Waters but must be kept on a leash 6 feet or shorter when not inside a tent.
Are There Any Fees or Permits Required?
🆖 No fees required
🏊 Is There Swimming at Sioux Falls?
❌ Swimming is not allowed
When to Visit
The open-water season, roughly May through October. Flow is highest in spring.
Seasonal Access
The best time to visit is Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Check with Superior National Forest for seasonal road closures.
Safety Information
Wear a life jacket, take care on the rock-slab portage landings, and plan for self-rescue in a remote wilderness area.
Know when to go.
Get a free email alert when waterfalls near Soudan hit peak flow. We only send when conditions are worth the trip — no weekly newsletters, no spam.
Is Sioux Falls Frozen?
Updated about 4 hours agoNot frozen highs above freezing lately north-facing, shaded
Sioux Falls is not frozen right now; highs have been above freezing. Yesterday ran 41°F to 15°F.
- Days below freezing
- 1 of the last 14
- Current cold streak
- 0 days
- Freezing days ahead
- 0 of the next 7
- Flow
- no gauge
Winter safety. Frozen falls are the one waterfall trip with a documented injury pattern: falling ice, and ice-glazed rock and trail. Wear microspikes, keep well back from the base and from overhangs, and never walk out on ice over moving water.
Estimate from Open-Meteo daily temperatures at the falls, the LiDAR-measured facing direction, and the nearest stream gauge. It is a likelihood, not a report from the trail. See every frozen waterfall in Minnesota.
Weather Forecast
The Terrain, Seen by LiDAR
Aircraft-mounted lasers measured this ground to within inches. Trees and buildings are digitally stripped away, leaving the bare shape of the land the water has carved.
1-meter lidar shows the creek losing roughly 26 feet through Sioux Falls over a long run of ledges. Elevation at the pin is about 1,365 feet.
Both above and below, the ground is gentle; the falls are the one abrupt step in an otherwise easy-going creek. The falls face north and stay mostly shaded, with soft, even light all day.
Drag to compare. The dot marks the waterfall. The frame is about a mile across.
- Ground elevation
- 1,365 feet
- Measured by 1-meter lidar
- Drop at the falls
- About 26 feet
- Change in ground height within ~250 feet of the falls
- Faces
- North
- Mostly shaded, so the light stays soft and even all day.
A slice through the lidar ground surface, from above the falls to downstream (heading north).
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
Location & Access
Getting There
From Ely, drive the Echo Trail west about 39 miles to the Entry Point 9 (Little Indian Sioux River South) parking lot. Carry across the road to the landing and paddle upstream (south) on the Little Indian Sioux River.
Get Directions on Google MapsParking
Park in the Entry Point 9 lot on the Echo Trail, which has spaces on both sides of the road.
Elevation
1,365 feet above sea level
Coordinates
48.104071° N, -92.216252° W
Land Management
Managed by USFS Restricted Access
Visitor Tips & Gear
Entry Point 9 has one of the smallest overnight quotas in the Boundary Waters (one group every other day in quota season), so reserve early for overnight trips. Carry a map; this route is lightly traveled.
Where to Stay
Stay Inn Ely
Garden Lake Resort
Grand Ely Lodge
Adventure Inn
Browse vacation cabins and private rentals nearby
Unique outdoor stays — tents, yurts, and treehouses
Rent a campervan or RV for your waterfall road trip
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Nearby Campground
JEANETTE LAKE
4.2 miles away · 14 sites
Overview Jeanette Lake Campground is a small, single-loop campground on a peninsula reaching out onto the glacier-carved Lake Jeanette in Superior National Forest. Originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, this sweet, picturesque campground is well worth the drive. The facility provides sites that are usually accessible to RVs and tent trailers along with tent-only and hike-in sites. Superior National Forest, located in northeastern Minnesota's arrowhead region, is compris
Book on Recreation.govAdditional Information
Nearby Attractions
The Little Pony River and Bootleg Lake lie upstream. Jeanette Lake Campground, also on the Echo Trail, is the nearest drive-in campground.
Wildlife
This is northern forest wilderness with black bears; on overnight trips store food and dog food in bear-resistant containers.
Cities near Sioux Falls
Nearby Waterfalls
LiDAR
LiDAR
Other waterfalls named Sioux Falls
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