Pipestone National Monument
Soft red pipestone, tallgrass prairie, quartzite cliffs, Winnewissa Falls, and active quarrying connect geology with prayer, sovereignty, art, and responsibility.
Artwork inspired by George Morrison
The quarries are not abandoned archaeological remains. Enrolled members of federally recognized tribes continue to obtain permits and quarry pipestone for ceremonial pipes, making the landscape a living cultural place under ongoing Indigenous use. Visitors should follow interpretation without treating sacred practice as performance.
The Circle Trail links prairie, creek, falls, cliffs, and quarry views in a short walk, but heat, wind, ice, and exposed rock change conditions. Watch demonstrations only with the maker’s consent, buy directly when appropriate, and never remove stone, plants, or objects.
- Material
- Catlinite pipestone
- Steward
- National Park Service
- Use
- Indigenous ceremonial pipes
Quick guide
- Core truth
- Understand that Indigenous quarrying remains active
- Walk
- Use Circle Trail to connect quarry and prairie
Understand quarrying as living practice, not extraction history
- Start with
- Approach the active quarries as living Indigenous cultural places rather than abandoned archaeological remains.
- Look closely at
- At Winnewissa Falls, connect water, quartzite, vegetation, and the quarry landscape without leaving designated routes.
- Connect the story
- Use the Circle Trail to see tallgrass habitat and geology beyond the visitor center demonstrations.
- Plan around
- Respect quarry restrictions and prepare for exposed weather and surfaces that may be difficult after snow or rain.
Good to know
Only authorized Native quarriers may remove pipestone; loose fragments are not souvenirs.
Notice these
- Active pipestone quarries
- Winnewissa Falls
- Tallgrass Circle Trail