News Release

Pipestone National Monument to Increase Visitor Services

Date: March 29, 2021
Contact: Lauren Blacik, 507-825-5464 x211

Pipestone National Monument will be increasing visitor services on April 3, following guidance from the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The National Park Service (NPS) has been working servicewide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, and Pipestone has remained open for outdoor experiences throughout the pandemic.

The Pipestone National Monument visitor center lobby and museum exhibits will initially be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30 am-4:30 pm. The hours of operation may change throughout the season as staffing allows. The film will not be available in the visitor center, but may be viewed any time on the park’s website. To protect the health of those who work in and visit national parks, face masks are required in the visitor center. Masks are also required outdoors on park lands when physical distancing cannot be maintained. 

Outdoor spaces including the Circle Trail, Three Maidens, and picnic area continue to be available. Visitors are welcome to walk the trail and enjoy the park fee-free without entering the visitor center. Information and the passport stamp are available outside.  

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount.
We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.  

 

Park rangers remain on duty and normal regulations still apply. In 2020, the park experienced an increase in off-trail traffic, damaging fragile plant communities. In order to restore the tallgrass prairie landscape, we ask that all visitors remain on the paved trail to experience the park.

 

For more information please call 507-825-5464 x214 or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/pipe. Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on the park website and social media channels. Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. 

About the National Park Service:  More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.  Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.