Trail Tales: Quarry Loop Trail

Trail Tales: Quarry Loop Trail 

The Quarry Loop Trail at Banning State Park is a hike that blends natural beauty with echoes of Minnesota’s past. I visited in October, when the forest was in that fleeting stage of mid-peak fall color; some trees still holding onto their summer green while others flared gold and red. The day was warm and sunny, the kind of afternoon that invites you to linger on the trail a little longer, soaking in the light slanting through the canopy.

The Quarry Loop Trail is about 1.8 miles long, winding through a landscape shaped by both geology and industry. One of the highlights of this hike is the ruins of the sandstone quarry that once operated here in the late 1800s and early 1900s. You can still see crumbling walls and scattered blocks of pink St. Croix sandstone, reminders of when this quiet forest echoed with the sounds of saws and hammers. Nature has slowly reclaimed the site, with moss, ferns, and young trees softening the edges of the old stone. Walking through, it feels like you’ve stepped into a story where history and wilderness overlap.

The trail also brings you close to the Kettle River, a National Wild and Scenic River known for its dramatic rapids. From the loop you catch glimpses of the water as it cuts through rocky banks, foaming and rushing with a force that contrasts beautifully with the stillness of the surrounding woods. In fall, the river reflects the colors of the season, turning gold and orange in the afternoon light.

By the time I finished the loop, I felt like I had experienced both the energy of the river and the quiet persistence of history. The Quarry Loop is more than just a trail, it’s a walk through time, where every turn offers either a view of natural beauty or a reminder of the people who once worked this land.

Hiking the Quarry Loop reminded me how a trail can tell multiple stories at once. The river carving its path through rock, the remnants of human industry slowly being reclaimed by the forest, and the quiet changes of the season unfolding all around. It’s a place where history and nature meet, and every step invites you to notice the small details that make a hike memorable.

Let's keep rambling.

- Kelly