Malanaphy Falls Trail is a 1.8-mile out-and-back trail just outside of Decorah, IA. The trail is located on Malanaphy Springs State Preserve, managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
AllTrails says this is generally considered an easy route and takes about 45 minutes to complete. With stopping to admire the flora, the spring, and the falls, hiking the trail took me just over 1-hour; I paused my navigation while exploring the falls so probably closer to an hour and a half.
The trail follows the lower to mid side of the bluff along the Upper Iowa River and ends where the Malanaphy Spring feeds into the falls. There is a minimal elevation gain during the hike but quite a few downed trees to step, hop, or climb over. There are some neat rock formations as well. The majority of the trail is well packed dirt/sand. There are a few areas of rocky trail and even fewer roots to travel over.
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