Updated July 2026
Beeds Lake Spillway Falls
A staircase-like waterfall over a 170-foot-long limestone spillway dropping about 40 feet, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. A roughly two-mile shoreline trail circles Beeds Lake and reaches the base of the dam.
Before you go
Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check Beeds Lake State Park (Iowa DNR) for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beeds Lake Spillway Falls drops about 40 feet. That makes it the 496th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 31% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Beeds Lake shoreline trail reaches it about 2 miles (loop), rated easy. The nearest town is Hampton. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Beeds Lake State Park (Iowa DNR) for closures and current conditions.
Spring (high flow); year-round. Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.
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