Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Login or Signup

Get the App

Login or Signup

Discover
Places to see

Natural Monuments

United States
Minnesota

Rock County

Buffalo Jump

Discover
Places to see

Natural Monuments

United States
Minnesota

Rock County

Buffalo Jump

Highlight • Natural Monument

Buffalo Jump

Recommended by 2 hikers

Save

Share

  • More

  • Save

    Share

  • More

  • Take Me There

    Routes here

    Best Hikes to Buffalo Jump

    11

    hikers

    1. Buffalo Jump loop from Lismore

    6.49km

    01:43

    60m

    60m

    Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Navigate

    Send to Phone

    Easy

    3

    hikers

    Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Easy

    Tips

    March 29, 2024

    A buffalo jump is a cliff formation that Indigenous peoples of North America historically used to hunt and kill plains bison.

    Here is a quote from the journal of Meriwether Lewis, an early explorer of the American West, describing a buffalo jump.

    "One of the most active and fleet young men is selected and disguised in a robe of buffalo skin... he places himself at a distance between a herd of buffalo and a precipice proper for the purpose; the other Indians now surround the herd on the back and flanks and at a signal agreed on all show themselves at the same time moving forward towards the buffalo; the disguised Indian or decoy has taken care to place himself sufficiently near the buffalo to be noticed by them when they take to flight and running before them they follow him in full speed to the precipice; the Indian (decoy) in the mean time has taken care to secure himself in some cranny in the cliff... the part of the decoy I am informed is extremely dangerous. The indigenous peoples drove the buffalo over this cliff."

    Although Lewis described a buffalo jump in detail, neither Lewis nor any white settlers are known to have personally witnessed the events.

    From my reading of material about Blue Mound State Park during my childhood and adult life, I believed that this cliff was the site of a buffalo jump. Although local historians also believed this, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resouces does not mention a buffalo jump in its Blue Mounds State Park description.

    Nevertheless, the cliff is a good example of the Sioux Quartzite formation, which forms the backbone of the local landscape and is a dramatic feature in the surrounding prairie.

      In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!

      Sign up for free

      Details

      Informations

      Elevation 510 m

      Weather

      Powered by AerisWeather

      Today

      Tuesday 11 November

      11°C

      -1°C

      0 %

      If you start your activity now...

      Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

      Loading

      Location: Rock County, Minnesota, United States

      Other Popular Places to Check Out

      Trailhead of the Casey Jones State Trail

      Explore
      RoutesRoute plannerFeaturesHikesMTB TrailsRoad cycling routesBikepacking
      Download the app
      Follow Us on Socials

      © komoot GmbH

      Privacy Policy