Quartzite Canyon Trail

The Quartzite Canyon Trail at Palisades State Park navigates one of the most geologically extraordinary landscapes in the eastern Great Plains, winding through and atop the jagged pink and red quartzite pillars, cliffs, and canyon walls that rise dramatically above Split Rock Creek. The Sioux Quartzite exposed here is approximately 1.6 billion years old, among the oldest exposed rock formations in the upper Midwest, and the trail offers an intimate encounter with this ancient stone that formed at the bottom of a shallow Precambrian sea long before complex life existed on Earth. The creek has carved a narrow gorge through the formation, creating walls that rise 50 feet above the water.

The trail traverses the rim of the quartzite canyon, with several exposed viewpoints directly above the creek gorge where the rusty-pink stone glows warmly in evening light. Formations with names like Devil's Punchbowl and The Palisades are visible from trail-side overlooks. Rock climbers are a regular presence on the quartzite walls, particularly on weekend afternoons when the park serves as a destination for climbers from Sioux Falls, Brookings, and the broader region. The creek bottom below the cliffs is accessible via a short spur, offering a distinct perspective looking up at the towering quartzite walls from below. Wildflowers bloom in the quartzite crevices in May and June, and the creek bottom supports a dense riparian corridor with excellent bird diversity during migration.