Pipestone National Monument, Learn of American Indian Culture, Art, and History...............Minnesota W/O
Written: Feb 04 '04 (Updated Feb 05 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Scenery: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Close to Interstate 90
Cons: Far from everything else.
The Bottom Line: I wouldn't travel thousands of miles to see this site. I do suggest if traveling Interstate 90. It's educational American Indian history, art and culture.
|
|
|
| popsrocks's Full Review: Pipestone National Monument |
While driving out west on Interstate 90 to some Major National Parks Like the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave and Yellowstone National Park, I like to find other places of interest that may be a little off the beaten path and to often overlooked. Pipestone National Monument is one of these places.
With visitation of about 80,000 people each year compared to the Badlands, over ten times that amount, almost one million and Yellowstone's near three million, this is a quiet park. It is situated in the southwest corner of Minnesota just 25 miles north of Interstate 90.
It's been a few years since I was there, about four. I generally do not review a place I haven't been to within two years, however, I wanted to contribute to the Minnesota W/O and I found Pipestone National Monument very interesting and wanted to share some information. Soooo, through my memory, pictures we had taken, the National Parks web site, and a long phone call to the site last week I am totally updated with some excellent facts, experience and suggestions. This is the kind of place where nothing much changes and after a lengthy phone call, found out that indeed, very very little has changed. I hope you find the following info Helpful and possibly even Very Helpful
Visitors Center
I always suggest going to the Visitors Center first. It is there where you can get brochures, maps, and other information about the national monuments, sites, and parks.
You will find out that Pipestone is a special stone that can only be quarried in special places and is really quite rare. This stone is hard to the touch and quite durable. It has colours ranging from "mottled pink to brick red". It is relatively soft for carving and can be polished. The stone began being quarried by the Indians at about the time Europeans started to settle the Americas. They brought with them metal tools that could be used to carve and shape stone.
The Native Americans used the stone mostly for making pipes. This was considered sacred grounds. The pipes were made for ceremonial smoking. Today it is also used for art works. More on that in a bit.
The Visitors Center is also the place where you can have your National Parks Passport canceled, (it's an ink stamp). The passports can be purchased at this visitors center or any visitors center in all the National Parks, Memorials, Historic Sites, and Monuments throughout the states and some territories like The Virgin Islands. It's a wonderful way to "collect parks". See the link at the end of this piece for more information.
The current Visitors Center hasn't changed over the years. They still have the same rooms and presentations within. Nothing changes of the story and history of Pipestone and little happens there except for some limited quarrying done only by Native Americans. I remember the short slide presentation to get us familiar with the area and what is meant to the Indians. There is also a museum, cultural center, and gift shop.
In the cultural center they have Native Americans demonstrating the art of pipe carving. At certain times of the year, usually summer there are some hands on demonstrations that kids may get involved in.
The museum has displays depicting how the stone is mined. There are many pipes and effigies on display showing the talents of the carvers.
The gift shop is quite different from the usual in that it offers much in Native American items. Some of the jewelry is gorgeous. They also have dream catchers, statues, books, and of course pipes! Most pipes with some art work are in the $50- $150 price range. If you want a ceremonial pipe with intricate art work, be prepared to pay up to 800 dollars. There are some sculptures that demand over one thousand dollars. Hey you can always camp to save money so you can make a purchase like that.
There are also necklace type jewelry carved into pipestone. These are much more reasonable at about $15.00 The arrowhead jewelry is pretty cool.
Places to stay
Speaking of camping there is a campground just across the road from Pipestone National Monument. This is all recent information. It's appropriately called Pipestone RV Campgrounds. We didn't stay here or any of the other nearby State campgrounds like Split Rock State Park or Blue Mounds State Park that happens to be between Interstate 90 and Pipestone National Monument. We had moved right on to Badlands National Park in South Dakota and stayed there. Reservations are important!
There are other places to stay just outside the grounds. A super 8 is two miles off and other local hotels are less than a mile away. The nearby town of Pipestone also has places to stay.
Picnicking and food sources
Pipestone does have an area where you can picnic. Restrooms are also available. There is no food sold at the site. There are many local places to eat just outside the grounds. You will also find a McDonald's and Subway.
PIPESTONE, The Trail
I've talked all about other places within and outside the park. Now let me tell you about the self guided walk.
First be sure to pick up a trail book at the visitors center. These are for borrowing only. They do ask for them to be returned at the end of the walk. You can purchase one. The price is now fifty cents.
The small book has nine numbered stops that take you around the quarry, though you can stop wherever you like. The trail is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. A wheel chair is also available at the visitors center.
The walk is fairly level and part of the prairie. There are a few places where you will be going slightly up and downhill. Much of the walk is in open grounds on a paved path. There are trees and shade spots throughout the walk for getting out of a hot sun. You will also find some benches where you can sit down and enjoy the scenery. The park can have a fair amount of visitors in the summer, however, it is very quiet other times of the year and there are excellent places to just sit and quietly meditate.
The walk takes you above the areas that have been quarried. You are asked not to climb into these areas. We were there in the spring and there was water in some of them. The parks pump them out if there is too much water.
The trail goes through rock outcrops too. We took some interesting pictures with them. Midway through the trail is a waterfall. It's not huge but it is pretty and calming to watch. The colours of the stone and the simple beauty of the surrounding area make this a picturesque area. Be sure to bring your camera.
Everyone walks the path in a clockwise direction so everything is neat and orderly. Though the walk is not all that long, there is a "short cut" back to the visitors center if you are looking to save time, are tired, or have seen enough. It saves about a third of the walk.
These grounds are still quarried. Special permits allow Native Americans only to mine in very limited amounts.
IN CLOSING
I found this National Monument in Minnesota very informative and interesting. It broke up our long trip to South Dakota and was less than a half hour off our route. It's also a good place to stay over before continuing on west. I have read a bit about the nearby town of Pipestone and it sounds very interesting too. It also has a fair share of places to visit. I would suggest getting in touch with their Chamber of Commerce for more info.
Stop at Pipestone, learn about the Native Americans and some of their history, and if you make a purchase, "smoke on your pipe and be Happy!"
This review is a contribution to Stephen Murray's Minnesota Write Off. Be sure to look for other contributers to this W/O
Three National Parks we visited after seeing Pipestone
Badlands National Park
Wind Cave National Park
Mount Rushmore National Monument, Four Great Men Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln
National Parks PassPort
.Collect National Parks
National Parks System
Our National Parks
Recommended:
Yes
Review Topic: Overview
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.