Inventory & Monitoring at Pipestone National Monument

Prairie wildflowers and rock outcrop at Pipestone National Monument

NPS-Photo

Pipestone National Monument is located in southwest Minnesota and borders the north side of the City of Pipestone. It was established in 1937 to administer and protect the pipestone quarries, and their associated resources and values. It consists of 366 acres of unusual and diverse landscape within an agricultural area.
The park is located on slightly sloping land in a shallow glacial valley. Sioux Quartzite provides the critical fundamental resource associated with the park. A 15-foot high, Sioux quartzite outcrop runs north to south through the eastern half of PIPE. Soils are glacially derived tills, loess, and alluvium and vary in depth, fertility and productivity.
Vegetation mainly consists of four plant communities: virgin native prairie, restored prairie on former old fields, degraded prairie, and oak savannas. The Sioux quartzite prairie found along the quartzite outcrop is considered a significant resource and rare plant species occur throughout this habitat. A fish survey identified 25 fish species in Pipestone Creek (Dodd, et al. 2010). Small vernal pools in the quartzite formation provide a unique habitat for rare aquatic and semi-aquatic invertebrate species (Bowles 2009).

Monitoring Reports

Source: Data Store Saved Search 3507 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Inventory Reports

Source: Data Store Collection 4260 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

Check out the links below for other interesting science information about your park:

Air Quality in Parks
Learn about the air quality at your park and how it has changed over time.

NPS Geodiversity Atlas
An interactive map to explore the full variety of natural geologic (rocks, minerals, sediments, fossils, landforms, and physical processes) and soil resources and processes that occur in your park.

NPSpecies
Find out what plants and animals are present in your park or other parks.