Chimney Rock Scientific and Natural Area

Protected area in Minnesota, United States

Chimney Rock Scientific and Natural Area
Chimney Rock, a sandstone pillar, is the main feature of the SNA.
Location of Chimney Rock SNA within MinnesotaShow map of MinnesotaChimney Rock Scientific and Natural Area (the United States)Show map of the United States
Location	Dakota, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates	44°38′17.6″N 92°53′40.1″W / 44.638222°N 92.894472°W / 44.638222; -92.894472
Established	2011
Governing body	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Chimney Rock is a protected scientific and natural area in rural Dakota County, Minnesota. The area features a 30-foot-tall (9.1 m) sandstone rock pillar; the last remaining in the county.

History

Natural sandstone pillars have been noted in two other areas of the county. The community and township of Castle Rock are eponymous with a similar formation which later collapsed. Lone Rock in Empire Township was noted by Zebulon Pike in the early 1800s, but has since eroded significantly.

Chimney Rock was noted as a landmark for settlers who moved to Dakota County in the 1800s. It was described as "the most picturesque and perfect example of columnar rock weathering in Minnesota" in 1905.

Efforts to preserve Chimney Rock began in 2002 with a county bond issue preserving natural areas. In 2011, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bought 76 acres of land surrounding the formation, which became the Scientific and Natural Area. A local group of DNR volunteers, the Hastings Environmental Protectors, maintains the SNA.

References

Adams, Jim (February 5, 2012). "Chimney Rock is a rare sight". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 26, 2015.

External links

Chimney Rock SNA official site at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Chimney Rock at geocaching.com

Protected areas of Minnesota

National

Parks	Voyageurs
Monuments	Grand Portage Pipestone
Rivers	Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
Scenic Trails	North Country Trail
Wildlife Refuges	Agassiz Big Stone Crane Meadows Glacial Ridge Hamden Slough Mille Lacs Minnesota Valley Northern Tallgrass Prairie Rice Lake Rydell Sherburne Tamarac Upper Mississippi River
Wetland Management Districts	Big Stone Detroit Lakes Fergus Falls Litchfield Minnesota Valley Morris Windom
Forests	Chippewa Superior
Natural Landmarks	Ancient River Warren Channel Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve Itasca Natural Area Keeley Creek Natural Area Lac la Croix Research Natural Area Lake Agassiz Peatlands Natural Area Pine Point Research Natural Area Upper Red Lake Peatland
Wilderness	Agassiz Boundary Waters Canoe Area Tamarac

State

Parks	Afton Banning Bear Head Lake Beaver Creek Valley Big Stone Lake Blue Mounds Buffalo River Camden Carley Cascade River Charles A. Lindbergh Crow Wing Father Hennepin Flandrau Forestville Mystery Cave Fort Ridgely Fort Snelling Franz Jevne Frontenac George H. Crosby Manitou Glacial Lakes Glendalough Gooseberry Falls Grand Portage Great River Bluffs Hayes Lake Hill-Annex Mine Interstate Itasca Jay Cooke John A. Latsch Judge C. R. Magney Kilen Woods Lac qui Parle Lake Bemidji Lake Bronson Lake Carlos Lake Louise Lake Maria Lake Shetek Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine Maplewood McCarthy Beach Mille Lacs Kathio Minneopa Monson Lake Moose Lake Myre-Big Island Nerstrand-Big Woods Old Mill Rice Lake Saint Croix Sakatah Lake Savanna Portage Scenic Schoolcraft Sibley Split Rock Creek Split Rock Lighthouse Temperance River Tettegouche Upper Sioux Agency Whitewater Wild River William O'Brien Zippel Bay
Recreation Areas	Big Bog Cuyuna Country Garden Island Greenleaf Lake Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle La Salle Lake Minnesota Valley Red River Saint Croix Islands
Waysides	Caribou Falls Devils Track Falls Flood Bay Inspiration Peak Joseph R. Brown Kodonce River Ray Berglund St. Croix Boom Site Sam Brown Memorial
Forests	Badoura Battleground Bear Island Beltrami Island Big Fork Birch Lakes Blackduck Bowstring Buena Vista Burntside Centennial Chengwatana Cloquet Valley Crow Wing D.A.R. Emily Finland Fond du Lac Foot Hills General C. C. Andrews George Washington Golden Anniversary Grand Portage Hill River Huntersville Insula Lake Jeanette Kabetogama Koochiching Lake Isabella Lake of the Woods Land o'Lakes Lost River Lyons Mississippi Headwaters Nemadji Northwest Angle Pat Bayle Paul Bunyan Pillsbury Pine Island Red Lake Remer Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Rum River Saint Croix Sand Dunes Savanna Smokey Bear Smoky Hills Snake River Solana Sturgeon River Two Inlets Waukenabo Wealthwood Welsh Lake White Earth Whiteface River
Scientific and Natural Areas	List of scientific and natural areas

Local

Parks	County and regional parks Three Rivers Park District

Other

Minnesota Historical Society	Alexander Ramsey House Birch Coulee Battlefield Charles A. Lindbergh House Comstock House Folsom House Forest History Center Forestville Fort Renville Fort Ridgely Fort Snelling Grand Mound Harkin's General Store James J. Hill House Jeffers Petroglyphs Lac qui Parle Mission Lower Sioux Agency Marine Mill Mill City Museum Mille Lacs Indian Museum Minnehaha Depot Minnesota History Center Minnesota State Capitol Morrison Mounds Oliver Kelley Farm Sibley Historic Site Snake River Trading Post Split Rock Lighthouse Stumne Mounds Traverse des Sioux Upper Sioux Agency W. W. Mayo House
Nature centers	List of nature centers
Hiking	List of hiking trails

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Features of Dakota County, Minnesota

Communities

v t e Municipalities and communities of Dakota County, Minnesota, United States
County seat: Hastings
Cities	Apple Valley Burnsville Coates Eagan Empire Farmington Hampton Hastings‡ Inver Grove Heights Lakeville Lilydale Mendota Mendota Heights Miesville New Trier Northfield‡ Randolph Rosemount South St. Paul Sunfish Lake Vermillion West St. Paul	Map of Minnesota highlighting Dakota County
Townships	Castle Rock Douglas Eureka Greenvale Hampton Marshan Nininger Randolph Ravenna Sciota Vermillion Waterford
Unincorporated communities	Castle Rock Etter Eureka Center Waterford
Ghost towns	Lewiston Nininger
Indian reservation	Prairie Island Indian Community‡
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Minnesota portal United States portal

People

Pierce Butler, U.S. Supreme Court justice
Natalie Darwitz, Olympic Silver Medalist
Ignatius Donnelly, Minnesota's 2nd Lt. Governor
Craig Kilborn, comedian
John Kline, U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 2nd congressional district
Paul James Krause, NFL Hall of Famer
Joan Kroc, philanthropist
Laura Osnes, actress
Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota's 39th Governor
Alexander Ramsey, Minnesota's 2nd Governor
Coleen Rowley, former FBI agent
Henry Hastings Sibley, Minnesota's 1st Governor
Harold Stassen, Minnesota's 25th Governor

Geography

Mississippi River: Adjacent to South St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Rosemount, and Hastings
Minnesota River: Adjacent to Mendota Heights, Mendota, and Burnsville
Vermillion River: From Farmington through Eureka Township to Hastings

Historic Sites

Industry

Attractions

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