Pipestone National Monument
Pipestone National Monument is a national monument located in southwestern Minnesota, just north of the city of Pipestone. Sweet Township is where it stands. The site is in the hands of the National Park Service. Some 77K visitors came through in 2025.
A national monument inside Sweet Township
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 6°, with about 40" of snow a year. When to go ↓
70% of visits come in May–Aug
July is the busiest month, with about 17,131 visitors. January sees about 347. When to go ↓
Pipestone is the nearest base
Pipestone is 1 miles southeast, with 5 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 68–82°. When to go ↓
Established in 1937
Pipestone National Monument dates from 1937 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
The year in visitors and weather
This is the year at Pipestone, in visitors and weather.
Pipestone National Monument
Pipestone National Monument is a national monument located in southwestern Minnesota, just north of the city of Pipestone. Lying along U.S. Route 75, Minnesota State Highway 23 and Minnesota State Highway 30, it is home to catlinite rock quarries culturally significant to 23 Native Americans tribal nations of North America.
Those known to have actually occupied the site chronologically are the Yankton Dakota, Iowa, and Omaha peoples. The quarries were considered a neutral territory in the historic past where all tribal nations could quarry “pipestone” for ceremonial pipes vitally important to Plains Indian traditional practices.
- Type
- National Monument
- Established
- 1937
- Area
- 282 acres
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966)
- Wikipedia readers
- 13K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/pipe
Visit details
Overnight near Pipestone National Monument
The closest lodging is in Pipestone (5) and Brookings (13), and Sioux Falls has the most rooms in the area (91).
Lake Benton Township
204 people · 28% vacation homes
16 mi north of the visitor center · 15 mi to the park
Sioux Falls
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
213,748 people
38 mi southwest of the visitor center · 38 mi to the park
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Township | in town | — | — | 299 | $235K | — |
| Pipestone | 1 mi southeast | — | 5 3 hotels · 1 motel · 1 campground | 4,100 | $114K | — |
| Brookings | 30 mi northwest | 45 min | 13 11 hotels · 2 campgrounds | 25,355 | $266K | B |
| Lake Benton Township 28% vacation homes | 16 mi north | 25 min | 2 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 204 | $329K | — |
| Luverne | 26 mi south | 40 min | 6 2 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 4,984 | $208K | — |
| Lake Benton | 17 mi north | 25 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 lodge or cabins | 677 | $100K | — |
| Osborne Township | 13 mi southeast | 20 min | 1 1 inn or B&B | 295 | $365K | — |
| Edgerton | 14 mi southeast | 20 min | 1 1 inn or B&B | 1,256 | $132K | — |
| Sioux Falls | 38 mi southwest | 1 hr | 91 72 hotels · 8 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 4 campgrounds | 213,748 | $292K | D |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Combine it with these
These well-known sights sit within 70 miles.
40 mi Zoo & aquariumGreat Plains Zoo
38 mi MuseumWashington Pavilion of Arts and Science64 mi MuseumFagen Fighters WWII Museum
38 mi MuseumPettigrew Home & Museum49 mi MuseumPorter Sculpture Park
125 mi MuseumHinkly House Museum
230 mi GardenMcCrory Gardens and South Dakota Arboretum
70 mi MuseumSwensson Farm MuseumPhoto credits
Great Plains Zoo: Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science: Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pettigrew Home & Museum: Jerry from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hinkly House Museum: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0 · McCrory Gardens and South Dakota Arboretum: Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Swensson Farm Museum: Myotus, CC BY-SA 4.0
A year of 77,436 visitors (2025)
Years run from 2016 on the left to 2025 on the right.
Questions about Pipestone
Is Pipestone National Monument in Sweet Township?
Yes. It’s inside Sweet Township, MN. The address is 36 Reservation Ave, Pipestone, MN 56164.
When is the best time to visit Pipestone National Monument?
May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 68–82°. July is the busiest month (about 17,131 visitors).
How many people visit Pipestone National Monument each year?
77,436 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 83,189, set in 2023.
What is the closest airport to Pipestone National Monument?
Sioux Falls Regional (FSD), about 36 miles away. The nearest big hub is Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP), about 164 miles.
Where should I stay near Pipestone National Monument?
Pipestone (1 mi, 5 places to stay), Sioux Falls (38 mi, 91 places to stay) and Brookings (30 mi, 13 places to stay).
Sweet Township has the answers
What people nearby have posted about Pipestone.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.