Devils Tower National Monument

Devils Tower National Monument offers recreation centered on the great tower — hiking the trails that circle its base through ponderosa pine forest and prairie (the popular Tower Trail loops right around it), gazing up at the dramatic columns, rock climbing the tower’s columns (a world-renowned crack-climbing destination, with a voluntary climbing closure each June out of respect for Native ceremonies), wildlife watching (prairie dogs, deer), photography, ranger programs, and stargazing under dark skies. Hiking the base trails and marveling at the tower are the signature draws. The combination of the singular monolith, the trails, the climbing and the cultural significance makes the monument a beloved destination.

Late spring through fall offers the most comfortable weather for hiking the base trails and viewing the tower, with summer the busy peak (and warm) and fall bringing crisp air and color. Climbers are asked to voluntarily refrain from climbing in June, out of respect for Native American ceremonies. Sunrise and sunset set the tower glowing, the best times for photography, and the dark skies are excellent for stars. Spring through fall offers the best weather; the tower is striking year-round, and respecting the June climbing closure honors the sacred significance of the site to Native peoples.

Devils Tower holds deep significance — sacred to more than two dozen Native American tribes (including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Kiowa and others), who know it by names like Bear Lodge (Mato Tipila) and tell of its origin in stories of a great bear clawing its sides, and who hold ceremonies there. The name ‘Devils Tower’ came from a likely mistranslation. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed it the first national monument in the nation, under the new Antiquities Act. The monument preserves both the singular natural wonder and its profound cultural and spiritual significance, a treasured and sacred landmark of the American West.

Devils Tower is a striking igneous formation, formed when molten rock intruded into the surrounding sedimentary rock and cooled underground; as it cooled and contracted, it fractured into the immense vertical columns (mostly five- and six-sided) that score its sides. Over millions of years, erosion stripped away the softer surrounding sedimentary rock, leaving the harder igneous tower standing dramatically above the plains, rising 867 feet from its base. Geologists still debate the precise origin (a volcanic neck or other intrusion), but the cooling-fractured igneous rock and the erosion of the softer surroundings created this singular and dramatic columned monolith.

The prairie, ponderosa forest and river country around Devils Tower host a lively prairie dog town (a favorite of visitors) near the base, along with white-tailed and mule deer, foxes, and a rich community of birds, including raptors and the white-throated swifts and falcons that nest on the tower’s cliffs, while the Belle Fourche River corridor adds riparian life. The meeting of prairie, forest and river supports varied wildlife. The monument is a pleasant place for wildlife watching and birding, with the prairie dog town, the cliff-nesting birds and the deer among the wildlife around the great tower in the Black Hills country.

Devils Tower National Monument protects a meeting of ecosystems in the Black Hills country — the ponderosa pine forest on the slopes, the mixed-grass prairie (with its prairie dog town), and the riparian corridor of the Belle Fourche River — that support diverse plant and animal life adapted to the northern plains and the Black Hills uplift. The tower itself provides cliff habitat for nesting birds and specialized plants. Protecting the forest, the prairie, the river corridor and the wildlife — along with the sacred and geological significance of the tower — sustains both the ecology and the cultural and natural treasure of this singular landmark.

Devils Tower holds profound cultural significance as a sacred site to more than two dozen Native American tribes, who revere it as Bear Lodge and tell of its origin in stories of a great bear, and who hold ceremonies there — as well as historic significance as the first national monument in the United States, proclaimed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Made famous in film and known the world over for its singular form, the tower embodies both deep spiritual meaning and natural wonder. Devils Tower is a treasured and sacred icon of Wyoming and the American West, a landmark of great cultural and natural importance.

Devils Tower National Monument is in northeastern Wyoming in the Black Hills country, off State Route 24 from US-14, near the towns of Hulett and Sundance, about 1.5 hours from Rapid City, South Dakota (and the Black Hills/Mount Rushmore). An entrance fee applies. The monument offers a visitor center, the Tower Trail and other base trails, climbing access, a campground, prairie dog viewing, and picnic areas. The tower is reached by a road through the prairie and forest. Check the National Park Service for the June climbing closure, conditions and access before visiting.

The National Park Service protects the great tower, the forest, the prairie, the river corridor and the wildlife of Devils Tower National Monument, and works with Native tribes to honor its sacred significance. Visitors help by staying on trails (protecting the prairie, the prairie dog town and the forest), respecting the voluntary June climbing closure and the cultural significance of the site (treating any prayer cloths and offerings with respect), not disturbing wildlife (never feeding the prairie dogs), climbing responsibly and respecting raptor closures, packing out everything, and following the rules. Protecting the tower, the ecology and the sacred meaning sustains this treasured landmark.

Climbing Devils Tower is serious technical rock climbing on the columns, for experienced, properly equipped climbers (or with guides) only — not for casual visitors (and climbers should respect the voluntary June closure). On the base trails, wear sturdy footwear, carry water (the prairie sun is strong), watch footing on the rocky paths, and keep back from the boulder fields at the tower’s base. Do not feed or handle the prairie dogs (they can carry disease and bite). Watch for snakes in the prairie, and afternoon storms with lightning. Respect the climbing hazards, the wildlife and the sacred significance of the site.

An entrance fee applies. Stay on trails; protect the prairie, the prairie dog town and the forest. Climbing is technical and for the experienced; a voluntary climbing closure is requested each June out of respect for Native ceremonies, and raptor-nesting closures apply — respect them. Do not feed or handle the prairie dogs or other wildlife. Treat the sacred site, including prayer offerings, with respect. Camp only in the designated campground. Pets are restricted on trails. Drones are prohibited. Pack out all trash. Check the National Park Service for the June closure and current rules before visiting.

The towns of Hulett and Sundance lie near the monument, with the Black Hills of South Dakota — including Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, the Badlands and Deadwood — about 1.5 to 2 hours east, and the rolling plains and river country of northeastern Wyoming around it. The Black Hills country and the northern plains define the region. Devils Tower, the first national monument, anchors a singular and sacred landmark of northeastern Wyoming, a centerpiece of a Black Hills and northern-plains journey, paired naturally with the nearby attractions of the South Dakota Black Hills.

Hike the Tower Trail loop around the base of the great monolith to marvel at its immense columns from every angle, through ponderosa forest and prairie, and watch the lively prairie dog town near the base (without feeding them). Come at sunrise or sunset for the tower glowing in golden light, and stay for the dark-sky stargazing. Climbers will find world-class crack climbing (respecting the voluntary June closure out of respect for Native ceremonies). Respect the sacred significance of the site, carry water for the prairie sun, and pair the tower with the nearby Black Hills.