Scenic State Park Sandstone Quarry Road

The old quarry road that splits off from Scenic State Park’s main loop leads to some of Minnesota’s most challenging backcountry terrain, threading through abandoned Hinckley sandstone operations that supplied building stone to Minneapolis and St. Paul in the early 1900s. The route climbs over exposed bedrock ledges and drops into deep cuts where quarrymen blasted away hillsides, now flooded and reclaimed by forest. Coon Lake sits at the route’s heart, surrounded by 40-foot sandstone walls and accessible only by this deteriorating mining road.

This is legitimate difficult territory requiring experienced drivers and capable 4WD rigs with skid plates and good approach angles. The sandstone ledges are unforgiving, and several spots demand careful line choice to avoid high-centering or body damage. Late spring through early fall offers the best conditions, but summer mosquitoes are legendary. No facilities exist beyond the main park area, so pack everything including recovery gear. The reward is pristine fishing in quarry lakes that see almost no pressure, plus some of the most unique geology in the upper Midwest.