Pipestone National Monument is a National Park Service-designated national monument located just north of the city limits of Pipestone, Minnesota, USA. It is situated on a site that contains pipestone, or catlinite, quarries that are sacred to the Dakota Sioux (Lakota) Indians who were the sole human inhabitants of the area prior to European exploration and American settlement. This pipestone was and is used to make peace pipes , vitally important to traditional Plains Indian culture. Under the National Park Service's rules, only people of Native American ancestry are allowed to quarry the pipestone at Pipestone National Monument.

During the summer months, there are cultural demonstrations at the monument. Visitors can also walk along a 0.75-mile (1.2 km) trail to view the pipestone quarries and a waterfall.

Pipestone National Monument was established as a protected national monument in 1937.

External links

• Pipestone National Monument homepage