Devil's Kettle Trail

The Devil’s Kettle Trail is a mile long trail in Judge C. R. Magney State Park, Minnesota that leads to a viewpoint of the unique Devil’s Kettle waterfall. What makes this waterfall on the Brule River so unusual is that at the Devil’s Kettle the river splits; the eastern portion of the falls plunges 50 feet into a pool and the western portion of the falls drops into a pothole and seemingly disappears. Where the water that drops into the pothole flows has been a mystery until 2017 when the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources using stream gauges determined that the water rejoins the river farther downstream.

This two mile long out and back hike begins at the east end of the state park’s parking lot. In a tenth of a mile from the tailhead the trail crosses the Brule River via a bridge. Over the next half mile or so the trail gradually gains elevation as it runs parallel to the Brule River. The river can be viewed from high above in many places. Hikers will next come to a long flight of wooden stairs that has 192 steps to descend. Shortly after completing the stairs hikers can view Upper Falls. Upper Falls has about a 30-foot drop. About a tenth a mile past Upper Falls there is a platform to view Devil’s Kettle. This is the turn around point for the Devil’s Kettle Trail. The trail does continue on as it is also the Superior Hiking Trail.

Dogs are allowed on the Devil’s Kettle Trail but must be kept on a leash that is no longer than 6 feet in length. Since the trail is located in a state park, a fee must be paid to enter the park. A day use or annual permit can be purchased at the park office.

This trail also doubles as the state park’s Hiking Club trail. The Minnesota State Park’s Hiking Club program encourages hikers to hike a designated Hiking Club Trail at most state parks. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. You can earn patches, free camping, and even a plaque (if you hike all of the Hiking Club trails) for participating in the club. A Hiking Club kit can be purchased at most state parks for $14.95 (as of 2023). More information about the program can be found here.

A map of this hike can be found here.