Where: 7232 MN-61, Silver Bay, MN 55614
(It’s a Wayside rest)
Was it worth it: I give it a 9/10
Highlight: Having the trail & waterfall completely to ourselves!
Suggested time here: 1.5+ hours
When we visited: October 2021
Not Just a Wayside Rest
If I hadn’t heard that there was an amazing waterfall at this wayside rest stop I would’ve definitely just driven right on past. When you pull into the parking lot right off of Highway 61 about all you can see is a vault toilet and a little path off to the side. Don’t let this fool you, there’s so much more to see here besides the potty!
Walk Along the Caribou River
The path will quickly bring you right alongside the Caribou River and it’s absolutely gorgeous! We were there in the later afternoon and were the only ones on the trail. To get to the waterfall and back it’s about 1.2 miles in total on an out & back trail. There are some little off shoots to the trail & you can take an upper path but we just stuck on the lower riverside trail for a little more adventure.
Prepare for Mud
We were there after a few rainy days so it was MUDDY along the riverside trail! An option to bypass the mud is to hop down the rocks on the river instead. We split up so two of us took the river rocks and two of us took the muddy path. My eldest son and I ended up with really muddy boots because it was the squelchy kind of mud, the kind that quickly eats up your shoes. My youngest, the rock hopper, ended up with one soaked leg and boot because he missed a jump. That meant he had a chilly hike but he’s used to that…he often ends up in the water somehow! In the summer, this would feel great to walk along in sandals!
He was soon SOAKED after this photo
The Waterfall
You’ll soon be greeted by the sweet sounds of a roaring waterfall! Head down the many stairs at the end of the path and prepare to be wowed by this waterfall! We were amazed no one else was there! I thought this was one of the best Minnesota waterfalls I’ve seen so it’s crazy that it isn’t more well known! It’s good that it wasn’t busy though because the water at the base of the falls was pretty high so there was not a lot of space to walk around down there.
Going back the way we came
We’ll be Back
We will definitely return to Caribou Falls! Ooh, just imagining this one all iced over in the winter makes me want to plan a trip right now! As far as the summer, this would be the perfect spot to cool off. It definitely wasn’t deep enough to “swim” in right now but you could wade in during the summer months.
If you’re looking for other waterfalls in the area, check out my post about the waterfalls of Tettegouche State Park HERE
Have you been to Caribou Falls? If not, did you know it was even there? Please comment below!
Happy Exploring!
