Tour the Prairie
FROM BICYCLE TRAILS TO MOUNTAIN BIKING TO WATERFALLS & PARKS
Split Rock Creek State Park
Description
Swim, fish, or boat the waters of Split Rock Lake, the largest body of water in Pipestone County. The lake is the predominant feature of this park. Stop by the Beach Side Trail Center for an excellent vista and to discover more about the area. Seven miles north of the park is the famous Pipestone National Monument. A large dam was completed in 1938 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The dam was constructed of Sioux Quartzite, a hard red rock that was quarried locally for use in the building of the dam and nearby highway bridge. The park was developed to provide water-based recreation for an area of the state that has few lakes.
Geology
Three major ice movements during the ice age deposited a thick layer of sand, gravel, rocks, and clay called till, which are several hundred feet in some areas. Under the till lays a hard pink bedrock known as Sioux quartzite. This hard metamorphic rock was quarried in the area for use as a building material.
