800-Feet Hexagonal Columns from Molten Rock Created America’s 1st National Monument

The Devils Tower, Wyoming

While the rest of Wyoming plays it flat, Devils Tower decided to reach for the stars. This 867-foot volcanic plug is America’s first National Monument and the weirdest thing you’ll ever see burst out of a prairie.

Devils Tower by the Numbers

The summit is slightly dome-shaped and rocky. According to Lakota legend, the tower’s grooves were created by a giant bear’s claws.

From the base to the top, Devil’s Tower stretches 867 feet, reaching a total height of 5,112 feet above sea level. The summit’s area is about 1.5 acres, roughly equivalent to the size of a football field.

The columns taper from about 7 feet wide at the base to around 4 feet wide near the top (iconic examples of columnar jointing in igneous rock). 

It’s Sacred to Native American Tribes

Native American tribes from the northern Plains share deep spiritual bonds with Devil’s Tower. These include the Lakota, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Crow peoples, who have performed sacred rituals here for generations.

Many tribes use bear-related names for the tower, such as “Mato Tipila” (Bear’s Lodge) in the Lakota language. Tribes still hold ceremonies near the tower, especially during June’s summer solstice (group rituals like the Sun Dance).

The Tower’s Name Came from a Mistranslation

The name ‘Devils Tower’ started with a mistake in 1875. Colonel Richard Irving Dodge’s interpreter got the meaning wrong when trying to translate Native American names. He confused the Lakota word for ‘bear’ (wahanksica) with ‘bad god’ (wakansica).

Several tribes and support groups want to rename the monument ‘Bear Lodge’ now. In 2014, Arvol Looking Horse formally petitioned to rename Devils Tower as ‘Bear Lodge National Historic Landmark,’ but the proposal faced resistance. With the controversies surrounding its name, it remains known as Devil’s Tower.

It Was the Landing Site in Spielberg’s “Close Encounters”

Devil’s Tower gained worldwide fame in 1977 when it was featured in Steven Spielberg’s movie ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’ The tower became an iconic symbol of extraterrestrial encounters thereafter.

The movie’s success brought many more visitors to Devil’s Tower, with 74% more people coming to see it in 1978. Today, the visitor center shows items from the filming, and nearby Hulett town keeps this movie connection alive with special displays and souvenirs.

There’s Still Debate Around Its Creation

Scientists agree that Devil’s Tower formed from cooling magma, but the debate continues. Some think it formed like a mushroom-shaped mass of rock, while others believe it might be the core of an old volcano.

The hexagonal columns formed due to contraction during cooling, creating polygonal shapes. The presence of a special rock type (phonolite porphyry) suggests the magma cooled about 3,000 feet underground 50 million years ago.

Similar but smaller rock formations stand nearby at Missouri Buttes, helping scientists piece together how volcanic activity shaped this area.

Prehistoric Earth’s History in the Columns

By studying the rocks, researchers have found evidence of three different periods when molten rock pushed up through the ground here.

The Sundance Formation features greenish-gray shales and limestones deposited during the Jurassic period when seas covered much of Wyoming.

The rock layers tell stories about the dinosaurs that lived here 225 to 195 million years ago. Fossils suggest ammonites and marine reptiles like plesiosaurs lived during these ancient times.

Devils Tower Is Surrounded By a Beautiful Prairie

The protected land around Devil’s Tower covers 1,347 acres of native prairie grassland (one of the largest left in the Black Hills) including ponderosa pine woodlands and riparian areas along the Belle Fourche.

This grassland supports 450 vascular plant species, including the Standing milkvetch, a favorite for bees and birds alike. The prairie changes from purple wildflowers in spring to red-tinted grasses in fall.

Native grasses like the prairie Junegrass (Koeleria macrantha) and needle-and-thread (Hesperostipa comata) help prevent soil.

The Surroundings Are Also Home to Wildlife

The monument is home to over 40 species of mammals and over 160 bird species. Prairie falcons and white-throated swifts build nests in the cracks between the tower’s columns, while red-tailed hawks soar above.

Down on the ground, black-tailed prairie dogs (about 600) dig complex tunnel systems that harbor burrowing owls and swift foxes. White-tailed deer and wild turkeys roam through the pine forests near the tower’s base.

The surrounding forests and prairies provide habitat for larger mammals such as elk and pronghorn. ​

The Devils Tower Keeps Changing

Natural forces keep reshaping Devil’s Tower, just as they have for millions of years. In winter, water seeps into cracks and freezes, slowly breaking off pieces of rock that fall to form a 400-foot-wide pile of boulders at the base.

Lightning often strikes the tower during summer storms, leaving dark scorch marks on the rock. Rain and wind slowly smooth the columns’ edges, wearing away about an inch of rock every 500 years.

There’s an Ecosystem at the Very Top

Surprisingly, the flat top of Devil’s Tower supports a microclimate that has created an ecosystem of its own. More than 20 types of hardy plants grow here, including bluebench wheatgrass, and prickly pears.

A relative of the resurrection plant appears dormant only when it’s dry and ‘revives’ when it rains. Harebells and ponderosa pine take root in dips and cracks while hardy shrubs like Skunkbush sumacs provide shelter to small rodents.

Devils Tower Has Hundreds of Climbing Routes

The long, straight cracks between columns make Devil’s Tower especially good for a type of climbing where people wedge their hands and feet into the gaps. The first people to reach the top of Devil’s Tower were two local ranchers in 1893.

William Rogers and Willard Ripley built a wooden ladder by hammering hundreds of stakes into a crack in the rock. Modern climbing began in 1937 when Fritz Wiessner found a way up using ropes and metal spikes.

Gold-Tier Stargazing Territory

Devil’s Tower offers some of the darkest night skies in the lower 48 states, with about 250 clear nights each year.

At Joyner Ridge, people can see very faint stars and even the Andromeda Galaxy in the moonlight. In summer (June to August), park rangers frequently host astronomy programs.

Fun fact: the constellation known as ‘Mato Tipila’ is associated with both the geographic feature of Devil’s Tower and traditional Lakota star knowledge.

Visiting Devils Tower in Wyoming

Devils Tower National Monument experienced record-breaking visitation in 2021, with over 550,000 recreational visits, with its busiest months being summer (May to September), weekdays are less crowded than weekends. 

Address: PO Box 10 Devils Tower, WY 82714

Entry Fee:

• Per Vehicle: $25, valid for seven days
• Per Person (on foot or bicycle): $15
• Annual Pass: $45 (unlimited visits for one year)

Note: America the Beautiful Annual Pass holders receive free entry. 

Timings:

Visitor Center Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily

Park Hours: Open 24 hours a day, year-round