​Pipestone National Monument is one of the few areas where catlinite (pipestone) was and is mined by many different Native American tribes. It was a place of peace where they would quarry the stone for their prayer pipes, believing that the smoke from the pipes carried their prayers to the Great Spirit. Pipestone is still quarried there today, and you can see cultural demonstrations of people making it into pipes at the very interesting visitor center. There are some nice trails around to the different quarry sites, through tallgrass prairie, and past Winnewissa Falls and the jumping rock.
There is a very nice, short little trail called Circle Trail around Pipestone National Park. It takes you past some of the quarry sites, prairie with beautiful wildflowers, pipestone rock formations, Winnewissa Falls, and the leaping rock. The leaping rock was used as a rite-of-passage for Native Americans leaving boyhood and entering manhood--they had to jump between the two rocks. It's a nice, peaceful way to spend an afternoon and learn a little more about Native American culture. The Circle Trail starts and ends at the visitor center, which is very informative and interesting too.
I've been here twice--once on a third grade field trip and once again this summer. Both times I had a picnic at the Three Maidens area, which was really nice. It's such a pretty, peaceful place, and you can buy great Native American crafts in the nearby city of Pipestone, Minnesota.
I've been here twice--once on a third grade field trip and once again this summer. Both times I had a picnic at the Three Maidens area, which was really nice. It's such a pretty, peaceful place, and you can buy great Native American crafts in the nearby city of Pipestone, Minnesota.
xoxo, xenophile