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Pipestone National MonumentA quarrier working in his quarry pit
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Pipestone National Monument
Grasses
Big Blue Stem
NPS, G. Wagner
Big Blue Stem in the Fall
The tallgrass prairie once extended over some 140 million acres, from Indiana to Kansas, and from Canada to Texas. The tallgrass prairie - once the largest contiguous ecosystem in North America -is a vast chunk of nearly vanished America, by the most recent estimates, perhaps as little as two percent remains.

Over seventy native grasses are found within Pipestone National Monument. Big Blue Stem, Indian Grass, and Prairie Cordgrass are just a few of the native species thriving in many areas of virgin and restored prairie.
A seam of pipestone between layers of quartzite  

Did You Know?
The red pipestone rock at Pipestone National Monument was traded as far east as Georgia and as far west as the Pacific coast.

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Last Updated: July 28, 2006 at 11:52 EST