Devils Tower — our nation’s first National Monument

02Jul
by Oh, the Places We See
Devils Tower, US Flag

The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom.

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States of America

No trip to the Black Hills — spanning western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming — would be complete without a trip to Devils Tower, named our first National Monument of the United States in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. It’s impressive on its own — without any fanfare, night show, restaurants, or gift shop. Just an awesome structure worthy of your visit.

Although geologists have studied Devils Tower for years, the mystery of its formation still remains. According to the National Park Service site, “the Tower is formed of a rare igneous rock, phonolite porphyry, and is the largest example of columnar jointing in the world.” And perhaps it is this rare rock formation — standing alone — that captures your attention even as you drive toward it on Wyoming Hwy. 24.

When you get there, you’ll find that the Tower is the center of attention. Some of you may remember Devils Tower for its appearance in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But the whole site around it is also remarkable for respecting the natural beauty of the landscape and the Native American tribes who revere it as a cultural and sacred site.

Flags left by Native Americans in the trees surrounding Devils Tower.

We chose to walk the 1.3-mile trail around the base, giving us an up-close, yet distant, look at the structure. We could have been a little more adventurous, climbing over some of the boulders in Boulder Field that surrounds Devils Tower, but we stayed on the path. Although Devils Tower was formed about 50 million years ago, you probably don’t have to worry about falling rock. Fortunately, there hasn’t been a fall in the last 200 years!

Two walkers on the path surrounding Boulder Field at Devils Tower

As rangers explained to us, climbing is allowed on Devils Tower during all but two months: April when it’s closed to protect nesting falcons and June in respect for Native American cultural values related to the Tower. (Many people feel that climbing on the Tower could be perceived as disrespectful since the site is culturally significant for indigenuous people such as the Lakota, Cheyenne, Shoshone and others.)

A lone climber on Devils Tower

We marveled at Devils Tower standing 867 feet tall and boasting a summit of 1.5 acres, about the size of a football field. That summit is said to be slightly dome shaped, covered with native grasses, and home to chipmunks, mice, and snakes — but you’ll have to verify this and let us know!

We were taken by the quiet movement of the people who came to visit and how they, too, were in awe of the formation just as we were. The National Park Service does a great job of maintaining the area to focus on natural beauty and the protection of wildlife. (We loved seeing prairie dogs playing nearby!)

Access to Devils Tower is easy from several directions. It’s about an hour from Spearfish along I-90 W and US 14 W; from Rapid City approximately an hour and forty minutes using I-90.

Devils Tower is a place to visit for hiking or climbing or just marveling at an awesome natural site. If you’re visiting the Black Hills of South Dakota, you’ll want to make the short trip to Devils Tower, Wyoming, just for the sight you’ll see. Planning tips and explanations are all available on the National Park Service website.

Devils Tower, Wyoming

Here’s to travel in the good ol’ U.S. of A,

Rusha & Bert

For more information, these two publications are invaluable for your trip:

28 thoughts on “Devils Tower — our nation’s first National Monument”

  1. gallivance.net

    Excellent photos Rusha. You had me at “columnar jointing.” 🙂 For some strange reason we’ve never made it to see Devil’s Tower, and I’m not sure why. I love your photo of the two hikers at the base of the tower. In addition to being an attractive composition, the geek in me likes that it establishes the scale for the tower and shows what happens when the columns weather and break away from the tower. You get a A+ in geology for the day. Very cool post and excellent photos Rusha. ~James

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Who knew that one monolith rising from the ground could be so interesting, but it was. And like most natural formations, the sun’s varying positions change the way we view a place. It’s definitely a place I tell people to stop if they’re headed out west. It’s just interesting!

      Reply

  3. The Wandering RVer

    I was there in August (early 90’s) and watched people scaling the Tower. I’ve done a bit of rock climbing, but nothing THAT crazy. The prairie dogs are so fun to watch, popping up all over the place. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

    Reply

  5. We Travel Happy

    When it comes to natural wonders like this, I also like them without fanfare and gift shops. My family would also enjoy walking around the base like you did. The pictures are great by the way. 🙂 — amor

    Reply

      1. We Travel Happy

        Awesome indeed! This reminded me of Yosemite. We wanted to go there when we were in California a few years ago, but did not manage to. 🙂

      2. Oh, the Places We See

        We, too, have Yosemite on a short list of places we want to see before we die! Pictures probably don’t do it justice, but they’re better than not seeing it at all, I suppose. Stay safe!

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thank you for saying this. We almost didn’t go over to Wyoming to see Devils Tower, but once we were there, we wondered why anyone would not go if they’re fairly close. It was an amazing sight, one that anyone can appreciate. Hope you get there some day!

      Reply

  8. kzmcb

    It IS a remarkable structure. It’s interesting that only one day of climbing is stopped for reasons of cultural significance. As you may know, we have uluru, which is now totally off limits for climbing at the request of the First Nation’s people of Australia.

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      I’m going to go back to see what I wrote, but I meant to say that all of June is blocked off to climbing. It’s not a law, but it’s strongly recommended. And most people adhere to the voluntary closure. Thanks for catching this.

      Reply

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