The Spooky Minnesota Hike That Will Lead You Somewhere Deserted
By Betsy Rathburn|Published April 05, 2018
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Betsy Rathburn
Author
Betsy is a Minneapolis-based writer who's lived in Minnesota for 20 years. If you know of any amazing Minnesota restaurants, nature areas, or other attractions, feel free to let her know about them at brathburn@onlyinyourstate.com or on Twitter @betsyrathburn.
If you’ve ever been to Sandstone, Minnesota, you’ve likely visited — or at least heard of — Banning State Park. But have you learned about the early history of this beautiful town and park? It was once home to a thriving quarry, the ruins of which you can still see today. This hike to abandoned ruins in Sandstone is more than a little bit spooky. Take a look:
Banning State Park is located in east-central Minnesota. It's about 90 miles north of the Twin Cities on I-35.
The Quarry Loop Trail takes visitors on a tour of the park's forgotten history. It is a 1.7-mile loop that leads to a group of historic buildings that were once used by the Banning Sandstone Quarry.
But by the turn of the century, builders began using stronger materials to construct buildings. The town — which had grown to house 300 people — started to vanish.
Despite the closure of the quarry and its buildings more than a century ago, its shell still remains to this day. The crumbling buildings are an eerie reminder of just how easy it is for a business — or an entire town — to go bust.
Despite its spookiness, the abandoned ruins are still well worth seeing. They are a testament to the hard work many Minnesotans put into building the state during its early days.
