Devils Tower

Devils Tower is a natural icon so unique it has been the basis of mystery and legend from the time the native Americans first saw it to the science fiction craze of the 1970s. Whether you want to see something truly unique, explore an island of pine forest in the canyons and grasslands, or see for yourself if there is a secret base at the base of the tower, a visit to Devils Tower is worthwhile if you’re anywhere in the area.

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Our Visit. We visited Devils Tower in July as part of a week-long trip to the Black Hills

Our Weather. Lower 80s and sunny

View of the west side of the tower from Tower Trail–if you look closely, you can see climbers about halfway up the tower

About the Park. Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, has the distinction of being the nation’s first National Monument, established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. The monument protects Devils Tower (known also as “Bears Lodge”), a unique volcanic formation rising some 1,200 feet above the nearby river valley. While scientists know the formation is volcanic in nature, there is still speculation about what forces caused such an unique phenomenon, the most common being that it formed under water.

Visiting. If you’re driving through on I-90 and just want to see Devils Tower up close with your own eyes, plan on a 90-minute detour with 30 minutes to drive into the park to the Visitors Center and a brief walk up to the base via Tower Trail. Before you reach the park, be sure to stop at the big pull-out on WY 24 a couple miles south of the park for great views of the tower rising above the fields. If you have 45 minutes, walk the full 1.3-mile paved loop of Tower Trail all the way around the tower’s base. It’s a beautiful hike through loose pine forest offering views everywhere (mostly open on the south side, through trees on the north). We went about an hour before sunset, and we found the trail to be relatively uncrowded, especially on the back (east) side.

Tower Trail circumnavigates the tower on a 1.3 mile paved loop through the forest

The tower is unequivocally the centerpiece of the park, but other trails offer different views and vistas. For a bigger loop, consider the Red Beds Trail, or you can spend some time watching prairie dogs from the pull-out along the park’s only road or the short South Side Trail or Valley View Trail. With a full day, you could pretty much hike every trail in the park and see the tower from all angles with different sun-angle lighting throughout the day.

Pull-outs along Wyoming 24 on the way to the park offer great views of the tower above the fields

Suggestions. There isn’t much around Devils Tower, so plan your visit into a larger trip like the Black Hills of South Dakota or a road trip through the area on I-90. If you can swing it, plan your visit early in the day or just before sunset for the best lighting and fewer crowds. While hiking, keep an eye out for climbers on the tower–they’ll give you a perspective of just how massive the tower is. You’ll also see prayer cloths from tied to trees around Tower Trail as part of native American beliefs that this area is sacred. Please respect these and tell your kids what these are so they can avoid inadvertently disrespecting the beliefs of others. 

Nearby Towns Hulett, Sundance, Moorcroft, Gilette (WY), Spearfish (SD)

Other Nearby Attractions Spearfish Canyon (SD)

Official Website Devils Tower NM

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