Spotted Quarry

Spotted Quarry sits at 1,659 feet along Highway 75, the King of Trails Scenic Byway, with the terrain dropping 24 feet over the next 600 meters. Hiawatha Pageant Park is visible to the south-southeast, 0.6 miles away at 1,717 feet. The quarry takes its name from the dark red pipestone extracted here, which is speckled with small white spots, likely caused by bacteria dying off and reducing the iron-oxide (hematite) content while the stone was still clay. American Indians historically quarried the site in late summer and early fall, timing their work around the recession of floodwaters from spring snowmelt and heavy rains. Today, the park uses water pumps, allowing quarriers to begin work earlier in the season if they choose. The overlook lies within reach of several towns: Brookings is 31.2 miles northwest, Sioux Falls is 38.1 miles south-southwest, and Marshall is 40.0 miles northeast. Along the byway, this stop falls between Lake Haiwatha and Smooth Sumac.