But again, this is pretty limited (we were lucky enough to get the last space!), so if you have a long vehicle, you’ll need to plan for an early start here.Īpart from the Tower Trail, there are actually several other hiking trails in Devils Tower. It was really convenient! With a trailer, we would recommend just doing this before even heading up to the visitor center, which is cramped and crowded. We didn’t know this before coming to the park, but we wish we did! There are a handful of spots here where you can park an RV or drop a trailer so that you can take your main vehicle up to the visitor center lot. There are only a handful of long vehicle parking spots along a narrow and cramped parking loop, so if those are taken, you are out of luck.įortunately, there is a long vehicle parking area down by the picnic area. RV considerations: If you are driving an RV, trailer, or larger vehicle, parking up at the visitor center will be difficult, particularly if you don’t get there early. If this is full, you can park at smaller parking areas such as the picnic area or at the Joyner Ridge Trailhead and then hike up to the visitor center (keep in mind that there is no shuttle!). This can fill pretty early (before 10am), especially on summer weekends. There is a small paved portion of the parking lot and then a much bigger dirt lot. The main parking lot at Devils Tower is the visitor center parking lot at the end of the main road. There is still controversy over the name today and whether the name was purposely changed.Īs you can see, it’s a pretty small park, with one main road running from the entrance up to the visitor center and main trailheads. It is suspected that poor translation led to the name of “Bad God”, which then was morphed into Devils Tower. Why is it called Devils Tower?Īccording to the National Park Service, the tower was originally referred to on maps as Bear Lodge (this is a translation from a Lakota name). On a visit to Devils Tower, you will likely see colorful prayer clothes wrapped around trees close to the tower, representing their connection with the tower. Devils Tower is considered sacred by many local indigenous tribes of the great plains and Black Hills, and there are many sacred stories and oral histories about their relationship with the tower. Not only is the Devils Tower geologically significant, but it’s also culturally significant. The exact details of how all these processes happen is what differs among each theory. There are actually many theories about how Devils Tower formed, however they all center around a common theme: magma below the earth’s surface cooled, causing it to contract and crack, forming the columns, and then erosion of the surrounding sedimentary rock exposed the columns to create an above ground tower. This feature is called columnar jointing, and Devils Tower is the largest example in the world of columnar jointing, with some columns as wide as 10 feet.ĭevils Tower was protected in 1906 for its scientific value, because while there is much known about it, there is still disagreement regarding how Devils Tower actually formed. When you look at Devils Tower, its most obvious and striking feature is the tall vertical columns that make up its structure. So why is this random rock structure a protected National Monument?Īside from the fact that it looks super cool, a big part is because of its geological importance. How much time do you need at Devils Tower?ĭevils Tower itineraries (things to do near Devils Tower) How much does it cost to see Devils Tower? Hopefully, by the end, you’ll have a better idea of whether you think Devils Tower is worth a visit! In this guide, we’ll share all the best things to do at Devils Tower, best time to go, costs, itineraries, and more. Trust us, we had all those same exact questions, so we want to pass on our experience and tips to you! We made a quick visit to Devils Tower during our six month road trip when we were traveling between the Black Hills of South Dakota and Glacier National Park, so we got to experience a little bit of everything this National Monument has to offer. Afterall, can’t you see Devils Tower from the road? Do you really need to spend time in the park? What else is there to do? However, many people still wonder if Devils Tower is worth the stop on their Midwest road trip. A unique rock tower rising seemingly out of the middle of nowhere, Devils Tower is an iconic American landmark.
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