Park Units 77 & 78: Pipestone National Monument and Effigy Mounds National Monument

LA to NJ Road Trip: Day 6

8/2/16. We stayed in an historic inn last night in Pipestone, Minnesota which was so interesting to Catherine after working in historic preservation for the last year. The whole town was charming and so different than the east coast. 

We toured the Pipestone National Monument where pipestone has been quarried by the Native Americans for many generations. The name comes from the use of the stone to make pipes and there were people on site demonstrating how this was done. The trail along the quarries was gorgeous and lush - a welcome sight after so many days in the dry west. We learned that 95% of the tall grass prairie lands in north america is gone, having been predominantly turned into farmland. They are preserving some of the prairie land with original plants in this park.

We then traveled 5 and half hours east to Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa. This park is preserving Native American Effigy Mounds, of which some are burial mounds, some are ceremonial mounds, and others are mysteries. They were created in different shapes depending on the area and purpose. There is a lot that is not understood or known about these mounds which proliferate in the upper Mississippi area but are also found all over North America. 

We took a trail up to see some of the mounds which were bear-shaped and round. We also got a magnificent view of the Mississippi River from the top of the cliffs. It was a beautiful late afternoon hike in lush woodlands and a wonderful relief from being in the dry deserts, mountains, and plains for so long.

We finished our day with three more hours of driving into Illinois. Tomorrow we head for the Chicago area!