Lone Rock, Dakota County, Minnesota [Suggest Edits]

Description

Lone Rock is an outcropping of Saint Peter sandstone that has been protected by a shielding cap of Platteville limestone. Historically, it stood tall in a sea of prairie grass and was likely a landmark for Indigenous peoples for thousands of years and for the Mdewakanton band of Dakota Indians for at least the last 400 years (as such, it is considered a potential Traditional Cultural Property).

Although Zebulon Pike's 1805-06 exploration of the Upper Mississippi River passed near here, it was first described by non-indigenous explorers by Joseph Nicollett during his 1837 and 1838 expeditions to map the Upper Mississippi River. It appeared on his famous 1843 map as "Castle Hill." As late as 1903, now called Lone Rock, it still stood tall and clear of the surrounding terrain.

Time, however, has eroded this sandstone pillar and the encroachment of farming has replaced the open prairie with plowed fields and stands of forest and brush. Today, Lone Rock is surrounded by second growth forest and brush. Fortunately, its flat summit point is easy to reach and sits high enough above the trees to afford a great view out over Dakota County. With a little imagination, it's not hard to visualize what this view must have been like when all one could see was prairie for miles and miles in all directions.

Short Hike: The unsigned Lone Rock Spur Trail starts directly west from signed Intersection #6 at the junction of the Lone Rock and Wetland Loop Trail. This intersection is 1.2 miles due south of the North Blaine Trailhead (walk on a gravel road) or 1.75 miles west of the Wetland Loop Trail (walk on a wide, mowed grass trail). The spur trail is a singletrack on a wide, brush-free corridor through the forest. It is 0.3 miles from Intersection #6 to the summit of Lone Rock.

Gem Type: Historic Site