Pipestone National Monument — Attraction in Pipestone

Wonderful place to watch and talk with Native American craftsman working with pipestone inside the museum, watch a 23 minute video, browse museum exhibits including war bonnet, war clubs, moccasins & apparel, tools, peace pipes & effigies; then head outside for a 3/4 mile circular paved trail of the quarries through a tall grass prairie following along a creek and lake, feel the cooling spray of Winnewissa Falls, see the Oracles, the Three Maidens, native american petroglyphs, and some graffiti names of an early Nicolette expedition of discovery.

This is a beautiful natural setting and the scattered quarries are small & picturesque as they are worked by hand, so you won't see a large industrial quarry. I've walked it during summer and fall and it's never been busy.

Even though the monument is part of the national park service, there was no cost for admission when I visited due to a temporary suspension on fees (it was under-going construction), so donations are gratefully accepted. Call ahead or check out their website to see if they have started charging admission again.

The museum store has items for purchase for children and adults. There is no dining facility on site (at the time of this writing) but the town of Pipestone has a number of cute places in a wide price range (Lange's cafe/diner, historic Pipestone hotel, etc). You could also bring your own sandwich & nonalcoholic beverage to enjoy on one of the benches along the trail but be sure to carry everything back out with you as there are no trash cans except at the visitor center.

There is a separate 800 foot paved quarry trail which dead ends, so you will return the same way you came. The Three Maidens are a short walk or drive away from the visitor's center, you pass them on your way in and out of the...

I discovered the National Monument by accident. I was driving west on Interstate 90 and saw a brown sign and not being in a particular hurry, I decided to take a 30-mile detour to the Pipestone National Monument. My first stop was at the visitor center where I picked up a map and talked to one of the very friendly rangers. The small museum excellent and gives you an excellent overview of the history of the area. During my visit there was also a gentleman giving a demonstration on how the pipestones are carved into ceremonial pipes and other treasured objects. After spending some time in the visitors center, I hiked the loop trail through the site. The trail is relatively easy with a few steps in inclines. It is a little over a mile in length. One of the highlights of the trail is Winnewissa Falls. At the top of the Fall there is a historical plaque that commemorates the Nicollet Expedition of 1838 who rested here for 3-days and carved their name on a rock below the plaque. Those names are still visible today. The entire hike was very relaxing and enjoyable. All in all I spent about 3-hours here and enjoyed my Visit to the Pipestone...

Pipestone National Monument is a Beautiful park with great history. There is plenty of parking and easy access to the visitor center. The people are friendly and take time to answer your questions. The exhibits are beautiful, and you can talk with the tribal people and they will share the history of their crafts. Just outside the visitor center you can take a hike around the beautiful 1/4 mile loop, the path is mostly flat and paved for easy walking. Along the walk ,you will enjoy the beautiful views of the meadows and fragrant scents of the flowering trees. Stop and see the marvelous rock wall and find the hidden faces in the rock. The trail will lead you to a beautiful running stream, and about half way you can stop and enjoy the beautiful waterfall . There are rock stair areas where you can climb up to see hidden rock sculptures and bulletin boards with descriptive photos so you can enjoy the history as well. The sounds and sites of singing birds, and small critters can be seen as you explore. This is definitely a beautiful place to see, filled with...