Devils Tower National Monument is a huge monolith located in the northeast of Wyoming. It rises 867 feet above its base and is 5,112 feet above sea level. The area of its teardrop-shaped top is 1.5 acres and the diameter of its base is 1,000 feet. The original Indian name was Bear's Lodge that was incorrectly translated into Devils Tower. The spelling of its name without an apostrophe is caused by the regulation of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, that doesn't allow any official place name in America to have apostrophes. The only one approved exception is Martha's Vineyard.
From far away you can see the Tower rising above its surroundings
We are coming closer
In Wyoming, the roads are straight and flat and many times the maximum posted speed is 75 miles per hour (120 Km/hour)
The visitor center is open seasonally and has a bookstore and exhibits about the Tower's history and geology. No food is available.
There are several trails around the monument. The most popular one is only 1.3 miles long and goes all around the Tower.
The Tower was climbed for the first time in Records of tower climbs have been kept since Since then, some 100,000 climbers have tackled the mountain, and 51,000 have made it to the top. There were also five fatalities.
The Tower is considered sacred to several Native American tribes. Because of this, many Indian leaders objected to climbers ascending the monument, considering this to be a desecration. A compromise was reached with a voluntary climbing ban during the month of June when the tribes are conducting ceremonies around the monument.
Resting atop a giant finger All climbers must register with a ranger before starting their ascent and upon their return.
There are many theories of how the Devils Tower was formed. The most popular one is that about 50 million years ago there was an underground volcanic eruption that pushed into the weak sedimentary rock without bursting at the top. The magma cooled slowly and when contracted, fractured into columns. During the years the surrounding landscape eroded, and the Tower came into view.
There is also an Indian legend about the Devils Tower formation. Seven sisters were followed by a giant bear and they climbed on top of a big rock that started growing up to protect them from the bear. The bear tried to climb after them, but all he could do is to score the rock with its claws.
In 1956, a commemorative stamp was issued to celebrate the 50 th anniversary since the Devils Tower was proclaimed America's first national monument.
The Devils tower was used as a background for the 1977 blockbuster movie about the first encounter with alien life.
Aerial view
As rain and snow continue to erode the sedimentary rocks surrounding the Tower's base, more of Devils Tower will be exposed. Nonetheless, the exposed portions of the Tower still experience certain amounts of erosion. Cracks along the columns are subject to water and ice erosion.
My favorite photograph
It's time to go home
Touring information The Devils Tower National Monument is open every day of the year. There are extended hours in summer. Entrance is charged for each carload. The visitor center is open seasonally. There are restaurants near the entry to the park, however there are no food vendors inside. The Monument is located 100 miles from Rapid City, which can be reached by many airlines. There are several other big attractions in the area, like The Mount Rushmore National Memorial, The Badlands National Park and The Crazy Horse Memorial.
Bye-bye Devils Tower Pictures and presentation by Dan Calistrat August 2009