Devils Tower Wyoming Offers Great Rock Climbing
National Monument Preserves Holy Place to Native Americans
Sep 30, 2009
Out in the middle of beautiful grasslands of eastern Wyoming, there appears this big rock, protruding 1267 feet in the air.
What Is Devils Tower
Teddy Roosevelt, as a part of his sweeping contributions to the preservation of public land in the United States, created Devils Tower National Monument in 1906. It was the first national monument in the country and the first in the world. A typographical error omitted the apostrophe on Devil's and the mistake has never been corrected.
The Native Americans of the region consider it a holy place and call it the Bear’s Lodge. There are beautiful stories that accompany the tower about how a large bear attacked seven children who ran to the top in safety, which resulted in the claw marks down the side of the rock.
Scientists describe the tower as an igneous stock or intrusion in the flow of volcanic lava underneath the earth’s surface. Basically, the lava pipe got clogged and this is where it erupted. It might help if you think about it as a magnificent zit on the face of Mother Nature.
The Tower Trail is 1.3 miles long, a paved and pleasant walking trail around the tower with vantage points to watch rock climbers, observe wildlife and enjoy the peaceful, tranquil setting. There are other trails and camping by the Bell Fourche River. It's a magnificent spot to encounter wild turkey, porcupine, white-tailed deer, prairie dogs, chipmunks and more.
Rock Climbing on Devils Tower
With a technical difficulty of between 5.7 and 5.13, Devils Tower is considered by many rock climbers as the best place in North America for traditional crack climbing. Most climbers require 4-6 hours to climb the tower, although the record was 18 minutes.
Throughout the month of June, climbers are voluntarily asked to refrain from climbing Devils Tower out of respect for the Native American heritage that considers Devils Tower a holy site. Many cultural ceremonies are held in the month of June and throughout the year, symbols of Native American beliefs in the power of Devils Tower can be seen around the grounds. Visitors are firmly asked to respect these beliefs and leave any symbolic items untouched.
Sturgis Ride to Devils Tower
Each August, the quietude of Devils Tower is disturbed by the roar of motorcycles. Sturgis South Dakota is about 90 miles to the east and a nice day ride for many of the 600,000 or so bikers who attend the legendary rally there. An organized ride coordinated by the Jackpine Gypsies, the founders of the famed motorcycle event, is one of the celebrated activities of Bike Week.
The closest town to Devils Tower is the tiny community of Hulett, which offers a few simple restaurants and two motels. But Devils Tower is a pleasant stop for travelers between the Black Hills of South Dakota and the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument near Hardin, Montana.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
In the movie 1977 movie with Richard Dreyfuss, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” Devils Tower is the mountain where the the alien space craft lands and the encounter eventually occurs. A nearby KOA campground plays the movie every night for its summer guests.
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