Chimney Rock in Minnesota – Dakota County Hike

If you do enough road-trippin’ throughout the United States like me, you’ll find that there are many rock formations and places called Chimney Rock, with the most famous being Chimney Rock in Nebraska, most notable from the Oregon Trail (and its computer games). But did you know that Minnesota also has its own Chimney Rock? For a state not known for unique rock formations, it sure does! Chimney Rock is a 30-foot sandstone pillar located in rural Dakota County, Minnesota, just on the southern edge of the Twin Cities Metro Area. Let’s explore the location of Chimney Rock in Minnesota, and is Chimney Rock in Minnesota worth visiting?

Chimney Rock in Minnesota – Location

I found Chimney Rock in Minnesota difficult to find. I tried just using the Google Maps location as I usually do, but that wasn’t good enough. It took me to a grassy meadow with a sign that said, “Chimney Rock Natural and Scientific Area.” There were no trails, nothing. Just a grassy field with a sign. So I kept going. And going. And never saw it.

But I did find it. Here’s how to get to Chimney Rock in Minnesota:

You’ll want to put the location of Chimney Rock (below) into your Google Maps/GPS, as it will get you in the vicinity.

Joan Avenue, which is the main road headed to Chimney Rock is a dirt road, but it is extremely well-maintained and any vehicle can easily travel down this road.

When you get near this area, you’ll see a private residence with a very long driveway. At this point, start slowing down, keeping an eye out on your right for a tiny sign for Chimney Rock – the sign is several feet off the road so you have to look into the trees to see it. It will be at the top of the hill. There is no parking lot or pullout but you can park on the side of the road. The trail is also very overgrown and seems to be unmaintained.

Visiting Minnesota’s Chimney Rock

Once parked, you can start your hike. And by ‘hike’ I mean very short walk. You have to trudge through the woods to see Chimney Rock, but it’s a very short trail (it’s got to be 0.1 or 0.2 miles). You’ll have to look through the dense vegetation to find Chimney Rock, but trust me, it’s there.

You’ll notice while on the short trail that there is unfortunately a lot of vandalism here. Carvings in trees, spray paint on tree trucks and even on Chimney Rock itself. The Chimney Rock Scientific and Natural Area has been a protected area since 2012, but that doesn’t seem to stop the vandals.

Chimney Rock itself? Well, let’s face it. This is Minnesota. This isn’t a jaw-dropping rock formation. It’s a 30-foot sandstone outcropping in a forest. It’s very difficult to get a good photo of the formation. This isn’t a tourist attraction by any means. In fact, judging by the graffiti and garbage here, it seems most of its visitors are up to no good.

Is Chimney Rock in Minnesota worth visiting? Not really. If you’re in the area and want to see something truly off-the-beaten path, this is it. If you’re really into geology, you’ll appreciate the sandstone formations – but don’t ever make a special trip to see only this!

If you are hell-bent on seeing Chimney Rock in Minnesota, here are a few other attractions in the area you might want to add to your trip to make it worthwhile:
– Barn Bluff trail in Red Wing, Minnesota
– Vermilion Falls in Hastings, Minnesota

Have you seen Chimney Rock in Dakota County, Minnesota? What did you think?