Circle Trail - Exhibit Quarry
in Minnesota
If the stones are wet upon entering, be extremely cautious! Quartzite is like ice when it’s wet. In the 1940s, this quarry was renovated by quarriers so you can also physically experience being in a quarry.
This quarry represents the historical, cultural, and geological significance of the site. For many American Indians who quarry, the process of quarrying is spiritual. The hard, physical labor involved is a commitment of the spirit that tests all quarriers, creating a sense of connection.
The very bottom layer of rock is pipestone, and above is Sioux Quartzite and soil, which must be removed by hand to expose the pipestone.
- States
- Minnesota
- Trail type
- National Monument trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Minneapolis, MN · 165 mi · ~5 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 44.0131°, -96.3250°
About Pipestone National Monument
This trail is inside Pipestone National Monument, a national monument managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/circle-trail-exhibit-quarry.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/pipe/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Circle Trail - Exhibit Quarry and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.