Pipestone National Monument
Circle and Quarry Trails

Crickets and frogs, water and wind. Quiet beauty fills this place, a backdrop to the traditions of quarrying and pipemaking.

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The short trail is filled with surprises, water ripple and rock and blossom filled prairie.

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Visit, and let the quiet beauty fill you.

Approach

From the McDonalds at the southern merging of Interstate Hwy 75 and Hwy 23 in Pipestone, Minnesota, follow 75 straight north 0.9 miles to 111th St.

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Turn left at 111th St. and follow it west 1.2 miles into Pipestone National Monument.

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Inside the national monument, the road name changes to North Reservation Avenue, and it gradually curves right till it reaches a loop parking lot next to the Visitor Center. Enter the visitor center to pay an entrance fee.

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Coordinates for the hike: 44.0129360,-96.3255500

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Parking / Trailhead amenities

The parking lot is paved and level with plenty of room. There is a visitor center with clean restrooms and drinking water.

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Inside the visitor center are demonstrations of pipe making and quite a few interesting exhibits. You can spend a lot of time in the visitor center!

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Trail observations

There is an overhead sign in the middle of the visitors center pointing to a door that leads to the Circle trail. The trail begins just outside the door.

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The trail is paved and generally wide, though there are a few spots along the cliff where it narrows.

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There are several benches along the trail, which is good because this is a trail to be enjoyed slowly.

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Trail statistics

The trail is 1.22 miles long. The sum of all the uphill climbs is 48 feet.

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Trail waypoints

0.02 mi	Head to car	Branch - go left to the parking lot
0.10 mi	Traihead	Traihead
0.21 mi	Bench	Bench
0.27 mi	Bench	Bench
0.31 mi	Bench	Bench
0.50 mi	Go left at '5'	Branch - go left at '5' and 'The old stone face' signs
0.58 mi	Go down	Take a right and go down the stairs
0.60 mi	Go left	Branch - stay left
0.64 mi	Bench	Go either way - doesn't matter
0.71 mi	Oracle	Bench - stairway to the Oracle. Go up, then return
0.86 mi	Bench	Bench
0.97 mi	Bench	Bench
0.98 mi	Quarry trail	Branch - take a left and follow the quarry trail
1.13 mi	Lone Tree Pit	Lone Tree Pit
1.17 mi	Stay left	Branch - stay left
1.22 mi	End of trail	End of trail