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Dunning's Spring Waterfall

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Dunning's Spring Waterfall

Highlight • Waterfall

Dunning's Spring Waterfall

Name: Dunning's Spring Waterfall
Rating: 2

Recommended by 3 hikers

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Location: Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States

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Best Hikes to Dunning's Spring Waterfall

hikers

1. Dunning's Spring Park & Barnhart-Van Peenen Park loop — Decorah, Iowa

7.28km

02:02

140m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

hikers

2. Dunning's Spring Waterfall – River Trail loop from Decorah

6.18km

01:42

100m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

hikers

3. Dunning's Spring Waterfall loop from Decorah

5.96km

01:38

100m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

Tips

Targi

November 7, 2024

Park in the gravel area just south of the entrance to Dunning’s Spring Park. Walk to the waterfall and be sure to take time to walk across the stone bridge and climb the steps to view the source of Dunning’s Spring. To the right of the stone bridge is a steep trail leading up to a series of trails above Ice Cave Road. Dunning Springs is the site of a beautiful waterfall surrounded by limestone cliffs. The park features a walking path, scenic overlook, and bridge crafted by local stone mason, Ted Wilson. The trails throughout Dunning Springs and Ice Cave Park are numerous. Due to their complexity and technical difficulty, not all the trails are marked on printed maps. Talk to experts at the local bike shops about navigating this system.

visitdecorah.com/trail/dunnings-spring-park

Renner Anderson

June 27, 2025

The water that feeds Dunning Spring comes from near the base of the Galena Aquifer. Beneath this aquifer is the much less permeable Decorah Shale, which acts as a "confining bed" or "floor" for the aquifer. When the Decorah Shale is exposed near the surface of the land, particularly on the sides of river valleys, it causes groundwater to discharge. This process creates beautiful waterfalls and springs, such as Dunning Spring.

Matthew

October 3, 2023

Dunning's Spring Park is named after the waterfall that highlights the area. The trails in the park are well-marked and fairly easy for all trail users. This network of trails connects over to the Barnhart-Van Peenen Park trail system.

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Details

Informations

Elevation 310 m

Weather

Today

Tuesday 23 December

3°C

-3°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 11.0 km/h

See hikes here

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Location: Decorah, Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States

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Dunning's Spring Waterfall

1. Dunning's Spring Park & Barnhart-Van Peenen Park loop — Decorah, Iowa

2. Dunning's Spring Waterfall – River Trail loop from Decorah

3. Dunning's Spring Waterfall loop from Decorah

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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