Many people will look at this towering section of striated stone and think to themselves that it looks familiar, even if they’ve never been there. Yes, this is the site made famous in the Steven Spielberg 1977 movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But before it became a focal point of a movie about contact with extraterrestrials, it was famous in its own right. The Devils Tower National Monument, also known as Bear Lodge, was dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt as America’s first national monument in 1906.

There are a multitude of theories surmising how the tower came to be. In reality, all theories agree that the tower did not start out as a tower. In fact, the structure began beneath the earth’s surface and was created from magma that came to be in its current state via erosion. We will probably never know which theory regarding the actual creation is correct due to the fact that the erosion essentially eliminated the evidence to substantiate any theory.

Despite questions surrounding its creation, the physical tower is imposing. Devils Tower is 1,267 feet (386 m) tall and sits above the Belle Fourche River. It is the world’s largest example of columnar jointing. It is considered a sacred place for over 20 Native American tribes and ceremonies are still held there. As you walk on the trails, you may come across cloths or small bundles attached to the trees. These are Native American prayer cloths and represent the spiritual connection some tribes have with the Tower. Do not touch, disturb or remove the prayer cloths. Also, it is considered culturally insensitive to photograph these prayer cloths.

Park roads and trails are open 24 hours/day. Visitor Center/Library summer hours are from 9a to 6p. Hours change by season so if you want to see the visitor center, make sure you verify on the website before going. The park usually sees around 500,000 visitors per year; over 80% of whom come between Memorial Day and Labor Day (late May to early September), so plan accordingly.

Parking is very limited. The park often experiences maximum parking capacity for several hours every day throughout the summer (usually between 10a-3p). There is a map and a suggestion to park outside the park and hike into the visitor’s center, if you don’t want to deal with the parking issue.

Accessibility: The Visitor Center is wheelchair accessible and can accommodate wheelchairs up to 35 inches in width. Accessible restrooms are available. While the trail loop is paved, steep grades mean the trail is not recommended for wheelchair users.

MILE MARKER: The word for devil/evil spirit is Wakansica. It can be translated as “bad god” or “evil spirit”. The Lakota word for black bear is Wahanksica. It is possible that the name Devils Tower, which is called “Bear Lodge” in Lakota, came about due to a mistranslation of “Wahanksica” for “Wakansica”. It is also possible that Colonel Richard Irving Dodge, a man who publicly advocated for the genocide of Native Americans, ascribed the name Devils Tower to this sacred mountain merely to offend and disrespect indigenous tribes. To find out more about the movement to restore the original Native American name of Devils Tower back to Bear Lodge, click here.

HIKE IT!: There are several hiking trails in and around the Devils Tower. The most popular is the Tower Trail but there are plenty of other hiking trails for hikers of different levels to enjoy. The NPS website for Devils Tower does a great job of breaking down the hiking trails based on how much time you think you plan on spending at the park. Make sure you check it out and plan your hike ahead of time!