Around 5,000 sacred rock carvings make Jeffers Petroglyphs a special place in Cottonwood County. The images were made by the ancestors of today’s Indigenous communities. Jeffers Petroglyphs is considered one of the world’s oldest continuously used sacred sites. The rock face and its carvings thus tell of a cultural heritage that points far beyond a single view of the landscape.
Rock Art on the Prairie
At Jeffers Petroglyphs, trails lead through native prairie with more than 250 species of grasses, wildflowers and lichens. The rock face is part of the 23-mile-long Red Rock Ridge, which stretches through Cottonwood County. Here, rock art meets a distinctive prairie and rock landscape. Free parking for cars and buses is available at Jeffers Petroglyphs.
Places with a Long History
The now-drained Mountain Lake in Cottonwood County was home to Indigenous villages and camps over a period of 3,000 years. Mountain Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 4, 1973. The park’s history also includes the undeveloped rise of the former island. It is particularly well suited to observing wildlife and numerous bird species.
South Dutch Charley Park also tells the story of the county’s early settlement: the park was the home of Charley Zierke, described as Cottonwood County’s first settler. Those interested in the stories of individual places will find a different way to connect with the past here than in the far-reaching traces at Mountain Lake.
The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha Depot in Westbrook is a historic transportation building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in the summer of 1900. The depot thus provides a specific point of reference alongside the much longer history of Indigenous villages and camps at Mountain Lake.
Museums and Local Culture
At the Cottonwood County Historical Museum, the exhibition hall spans the history from Native American presence to life in the 1940s. The Remick Gallery highlights works by local artists. The museum also offers an expanded research library for genealogical research. Together, the exhibits, art and library provide different ways to explore the county’s history.
At Heritage Village, the Minnesota Hall of Fame Telephone Museum traces the development of telegraphy and the telephone through the history of local telecommunications. The subject connects technological change with regional history. The various museum offerings each have their own focus: from the history of a county to works by local artists and the development of telecommunications.
Prairie, Parkland and Water
Sara Park brings together wooded areas, a section of prairie grassland and a shoreline along Lake Augusta. At the 40-acre Talcot Lake County Park, the landscape and nature take center stage. The park is in Cottonwood County on Highway 62 between Windom and Fulda, offering an opportunity to experience Southbrook’s wildlife and natural beauty. Southbrook is the county’s southwesternmost township.
The Des Moines River also offers a distinctive perspective on the landscape: it is a designated canoe route, and there are three river access points in Windom. This offers a choice between historical discoveries and stories at places such as Jeffers Petroglyphs and Mountain Lake, museum collections, and nature around parks and the river.
The time periods offer different points of emphasis: the history of Indigenous villages and camps at Mountain Lake spans 3,000 years; the Westbrook Depot dates from the summer of 1900, and the County Museum’s exhibition extends to life in the 1940s. As you plan your trip, these different themes can help you choose the focus that interests you most.
Discover more destinations: Windom, Wright County, Hennepin, Beltrami County, Benton County, Morrison, Aitkin County, Todd County.
For the main travel overview: Minnesota.
