Parks Parks and Parks: Day 5 - Pipestone National Monument and Palisades State Park

Birds chirping. Leaves rustling. The smell of campfire drifting from neighboring sites. There’s no better way to wake up.

After breaking down camp, we explored the overlooks at Pikes Peak State Park, providing more wondrous views of the Mississippi. And then we hit the road before stopping to picnic at an adorable rest area. Our next destination was initially Palisades State Park in South Dakota; however, we noticed a national monument along the way. So, I mean, why not? There is a contest to win after all.

Pipestone National Monument in Pipestone County, Minnesota is an active quarry where individuals from American Indian tribes can still quarry. We watched a fascinating video about this process and the history of the area. Then we were able to walk a trail to explore the quarry, but the loop was blocked off in the middle because of an impassable brook. We found this out the hard way. But we did meet Gus the Turtle along the way, which was nice. And the landmarks were beautiful.

Next stop, Palisades State Park. We reserved a cabin here for an overnight stay along our long drive, but we got much more than we bargained for. This truly is a lovely park. We were able to check out a few overlooks of the rock formations made up of pink Sioux Quartzite, which is the same stone seen at Pipestone National Monument. We also walked a short trail at the bottom of Split Rock Creek to observe these formations up close. We even trekked across the creek! Sort of. But believe me, this thing was roaring.

We have to recommend the cabins as well. Air conditioning, electricity, a cute little deck. What more could you ask for?