Falls Park – Sioux Falls, South Dakota - Atlas Obscura
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Falls Park

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

More than 7,000 gallons of water pour over these cascading red quartzite waterfalls every second. 

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Sioux Falls Park Justine Brun (Public Domain)
Sioux Falls Park Justine Brun (Public Domain)
Sioux Falls Park rachaelvoorhees / CC BY 2.0
The ruins of the historic Queen Bee Mill complex, which stood at the site until 1956. ianlefk (Atlas Obscura User)
The Big Sioux River passes through Falls Park. ianlefk (Atlas Obscura User)
The falls of Sioux Falls. ianlefk (Atlas Obscura User)
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The falls are the bedrock of Sioux Falls, and where this city got its name. The park is made up of over 128 acres and is located just north of downtown, along the Big Sioux River. An average of 7,400 gallons of water drop 100 feet over the falls each second.

This water feature was created about 14,000 years ago, by the movement of a glacial ice sheet that helped shape the flow of the Big Sioux River. The movement of the water exposed the Sioux quartzite bedrock, the hard red-pink stone of the falls.

waterfalls rivers parks water geology
Nearby
Minnehaha County Courthouse Original Courtroom
0.53 miles
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