History
Name Origin:
The monolith, Devils Tower, has been known by several different names, some of those include: “Bear’s House” “Great Gray Horn” or “Brown Buffalo Horn”. Devils Tower rises 1,267 feet (386 m) above the Belle Fourche River and can be seen from miles away. Many of the nearby Native Americans viewed this site as sacred. Some 20 Native American tribes refer to the Tower as “Bear Lodge”. As the story goes sometime in the late 1800’s an interpreter slipped up and translated the name of the Tower as “Bad God’s Tower” which later evolved to be known as ‘Devils Tower’.
According to the National Park Service when the 1906 proclamation establishing Devils Tower was published, the apostrophe was unintentionally dropped from ‘Devil’s’ — and this clerical error was never officially corrected so it has just been embraced as the name of the monument.
In 2005, 2014, and 2015 attempts were made to change the “offensive” mistake by renaming the monument and sacred site to Bear Lodge National Historic Landmark. Some argued that a name change would hurt tourist interest and bring economic hardship to the local communities. Ultimately, the name was not changed.
The First National Monument:
On September 24, 1906 President Theodore Roosevelt established Devils Tower as the first national monument. In the early 1900’s concern for the preservation of antiquities (especially Native American ruins and artifacts) began to grow leading to the creation of National Monuments with Devils Tower being the first.
Recreation:
A steady small stream of tourists at the National Monument like to try their hand at summiting the rock formation. The first known ascent by any method occurred on July 4, 1893 when two local ranchers constructed a ladder out of wooden pegs. Many of the wooden pegs and boards can be seen today.
In 1991, on a $50 bet, George Hopkins parachuted onto Devils Tower without permission. The initial plan was that Hopkin would scale down the side of the butte with the aid of a package. Unfortunately as the bag was being dropped off to him it accidentally fell off the edge of the butte. The package contained 1,000 feet of rope, a sledge hammer and a car axle. After a 2nd attempt was made to drop the equipment to him, Hopkins deemed it unusable as the rope snarled and froze due to the rain and wind. He was stranded there for 6 days before a mountain rescue team could reach him and bring him down.
Present Day:
Today Devils Tower is a busy National Monument that draws people from around the word to view the unique rock formation as well as to partake in the spiritual aspect of the location. Many people visit as they make grand road trips across the upper Rocky Mountain region of the United States.
Fun fact: Devils Tower had a starring role in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
While the 70’s might seem like a long time ago (1977 was the year Steven Spielberg’s movie was released), in the 1930’s, a visitor center was created for the Devils Tower Monument. That is so old that the center itself has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today it includes not only gifts and souvenirs but also an interpretive exhibit of the monument’s history. Today many trails and climbing routes have been created for visitors’ convenience.
Must See
Half Day
Devils Tower National Monument is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year round however the Visitors Center is seasonal. This is a very small Visitors Center and if there are more than a few folks wondering around the place it can feel crowded. We suggest you start your day with a quick overview of the Monument in the Visitors Center since mornings tend to less crowded.
Take a hike:
Do the Hike to the Tower – its popular and can be busy at times. Most of the time you will find a ranger leading a group around the Tower and you can drop in on the lecture. There are five hiking trails at Devils Tower National Monument—Tower, Red Beds, Joyner Ridge, South Side and Valley View and each provide different views and perspectives of the tower. Also see the Monuments web page to see other great hikes in the area.
Sacred Smoke Sculpture:
Located near the picnic area is the “Circle of Sacred Smoke”, by sculptor Junkyu Muto. The sculpture was designed to help raise visitor awareness of the importance of Devils Tower to over twenty affiliated tribes. The sculpture, one in a planned series of seven, represents the first puff of smoke from a newly lit pipe and placed to frame the Tower when viewed from its location across from the picnic area.
Since you are now at the picnic area – have a picnic. This is a very nice place to view the Tower and with several large tables a good place to have a meal.
Stargazing at Devils Tower:
If you are going to be in the area overnight go to the Visitor Center and learn about some of the ranger-led programs especially the night sky viewing opportunities.
Winter Activities:
Winter activities include hiking, cross-country skiing, and climbing. Caution – trails are not maintained during the winter months. The road to the Visitor Center, picnic area and Circle of Sacred Smoke sculpture are open year around.
Devils Tower National Monument Visitor Center Phone Number: (307) 467-5283 x635
One Hour
If you only have one hour to spend at Devils Tower we suggest you spend 10-15 minutes at the Monument Visitor Center/Bookstore/Gift Shop. Then consider taking the 45 minute (1.5 Mile) Tower trail to the base of the Monolith and back. This trail is paved and probably the most popular hike at the Monument.
Tips and Logistics
Fees
As of January 1, 2019 the entrance fees for the park are $25 per vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, $15 for an on-foot person and an annual pass is available for $45.
*Individuals 15 years of age or younger are admitted free.
**Further information on Commercial Tour and national park entrances passes will be located on the National Park Service website.
Time of Year
The park is open year round, but the visitor center operating hours vary seasonally.
Contact Information
(307) 467-5283 x635
Devils Tower National Monument visitor center Phone Number
Camping:
You have only a handful of camping options in and near Devils Tower.
Devils Tower/Black Hills KOA:
Right at the entrance to the Monument is a KOA Campground. This campground is well maintained and extremely busy. Since they are about the only game around they are able to get a premium for their sites. Place appears to be kid friendly with lots of playgrounds and some open grass areas. This is a typical commercial campground with full hookups, store and shower facilities. Note – Most sites are very close together and food at the restaurant was very pricey.
Monument Campground – Belle Faurche River Campground:
This is a nice campground located within the Monument. Most sites have a great views of the nearby Tower. Each site has fire pit and a table surrounded by manicured lawns nestled in a grove of trees on the banks of the Bell Faurche river. There are no hook-ups. Most sites will accommodate a large RV and tenting options are numerous. The washrooms consist of flush toilets and potable water is available. There are also garbage receptacles at the entrance of the campground. Note – there is no dump station at the campground. The fee’s are reasonable but getting one of the 43 site can be difficult especially on a busy holiday weekend.
Near by Attractions
Very Close Proximity
Devils Tower Trading Post
If you visit Devils Tower, chances are you’ll see this store. It happens to be quite popular as it is the only nearby place to pick-up needed supplies and the obligatory t-shirt to prove you made it to this place. Some of the commodities include ice cream, snacks, drinks, and souvenirs. Many tourist enjoy the shaded sitting areas seated outside. It’s a good place to take a break from the heat and freshen up.
Hulett Museum
The front of this building looks like it is right out of an old western cowboy film; it is flat with waved rustic wood panels and a tin-covered sheet roof that hangs over the patio. It is is a small museum full of objects from local history and Native American artifacts. You’ll notice that in addition to archaeological items, paleontology artifacts are featured as well. Most visitors are very excited about the things they learned from the curator, Mitch.
Rogue’s Gallery
This is a Studio of western Artist Bob Coronato. In addition to local art, there is a large collection of Native American artifacts and Western cowboy collectibles. Make sure to check out the antique store here when you visit!
Famous Attractions In The Area
Wall Drug (about 2 h 20 min)
Wall Drug has a bizarre and interesting history. It started out in a small place in the “middle of nowhere” South Dakota. In 1931 Nebraska native Ted Hustead bought this little pharmacy to make a living in an area near a Catholic church. After struggling with business in the 231 person town Ted’s wife Dorothy thought of advertising free ice water to people who passed by. Apparently it was advertised really well because pretty soon it seemed like everyone knew about Wall Drug and would make a pit stop there.
I’ve heard people guess that today maybe 20,000 people a day stop at Wall drug on a busy weekend. Now it is a multi-themed shopping mall/department store with restaurants and unique tourist merchandise. It is THE place to stop at some point in your road trip. Make sure to pick up your t-shirt at the huge t-shirt shop in the center of the place.
1. Get on I-90 E from US-14 E
2. Follow I-90 E to Airport Rd in Pennington County. Take exit 109 from I-90 E
3. Continue on Airport Rd. drive to Main St in Wall
Sturgis Bike Rally (about 1 h 15 min)
Sturgis Bike Rally: This is a 10 day American Motorcycle Rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota. Usually this event is held the first full week in August with 100,000’s of people in attendance. In 2015 the amount of people spiked to 700,000 but more recent years seemed to have hovered around 500,000.
1. Get on I-90 E from US-14E
2. Follow I-90 E to SD-34 E/SD-79 N/Boulder Canyon Rd/Lazelle St in Sturgis. Take exit 30 from I-90 E
3. Continue on SD-34 E/SD-79 N/Lazelle St. Drive to Junction Ave
Mt. Rushmore (about 1 h 45 min)
Mount Rushmore is a must see. It’s the mountain with the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln chiseled into it’s rock
1. Get on I-90 E from US-14 E
2. Follow I-90 E to I-90 S/US-16 W in Rapid City. Take exit 57 from I-90 E
3. Follow I-190 S/US-16 W to Mt Rushmore Rd
Black Hills
The Black Hills and Badlands in South Dakota have a myriad of activities, events, exploring and hikes that are waiting to happen. “The Black Hills” technically include places such as Mount Rushmore and Devils Tower as part of its features. It will definitely be worth your time to look into the additional options and sites available to you.
Directions
Devils Tower National Monument
WY-110, Devils Tower, WY 82714
From Denver Colorado (about 6 h 15 min)
- Take 15th St and Tremont Pl to W Colfax Ave
- Follow I-25 N and US-85 N to WY-585 N in Weston County
- Get on I-90 W in Crook County
- Take US-14 W to WY-24 E
- Follow WY-24 E to WY-110 W
From Spearfish South Dakota (about an hour)
- Continue to I-90 W
- Follow I-90 W to US-14 W in Crook County. Take exit 185 from I-90 W
- Continue on US-14 W. Take WY-24 E to WY-110 W
From Hulett Wyoming (about 15 min)
- Head south on Sager Ave toward Main
St - Continue onto WY-24 W/Main St
- Turn right onto WY-110 W
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Comments
One response to “Devils Tower National Monument”
Good tips about what to do in the area.