Devils Tower National Monument
Rising 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River, this extraordinary columned rock is simultaneously a sacred place, a geological puzzle, and America’s first national monument.
Artwork inspired by Neltje
Devils Tower—also known by Indigenous names commonly translated as Bear Lodge—is sacred to more than twenty Native nations. Archeology places people in this landscape for at least 10,000 years, while the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow, Kiowa, Lakota, and Shoshone have especially direct historic and geographic ties. Their distinct sacred narratives and present-day ceremonies are not a decorative preface to the geology; they are central to understanding the place.
Geologists agree that the Tower is phonolite porphyry formed from magma below ground, then exposed as softer sedimentary layers eroded away. They still debate the original intrusive form. Its enormous columns—often five-sided as well as six-sided and up to roughly ten feet wide—make this the world’s largest example of columnar jointing. The boulder field records continuing erosion even though no major column fall has been witnessed in recorded history.
For most visitors, the 1.3-mile Tower Trail loop provides the essential close reading: columns, talus, forest, climbers, and shifting profiles appear in succession. Pair it with prairie-dog and river views near the picnic area or the quieter 2.8-mile Red Beds Trail. Throughout June, do not climb or scramble inside the loop; the voluntary closure respects a culturally important ceremonial period, whether or not a ceremony is visible. Leave prayer cloths and bundles completely undisturbed and consider not photographing them.
- River rise
- 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River
- Rock
- Phonolite porphyry with immense columnar joints
- Protected
- 1906—the first U.S. national monument
Quick guide
- Anchor
- Five- and six-sided columns widening to roughly ten feet rather than a grid of identical hexagons
- Second focus
- Red Spearfish beds, pale gypsum, and Sundance sandstone surrounding the gray igneous core ↔ Prayer cloths, the historic stake ladder, climbers, prairie dogs, and falcons as evidence of several overlapping stories
How to read Devils Tower National Monument on site
- Begin with relationship
- Read the Tribal-connections exhibits and language before treating the Tower as a purely geological object.
- Circle the base
- Walk the 1.3-mile Tower Trail loop before choosing a single favorite face; the columns and talus change markedly with angle.
- Add the red beds
- Use the 2.8-mile Red Beds Trail for quieter views across Jurassic formations and the Belle Fourche River valley.
- Practice restraint
- Honor the June climbing and scrambling pause, leave prayer offerings untouched, and give prairie dogs and other wildlife distance.
Good to know
More than four-fifths of annual visitation arrives between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and upper parking commonly fills for hours. Aim for the entrance station before 10 a.m. Or after 4 p.m.; during the first full week of August, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally traffic changes normal parking procedures. Thunderstorms can bring lightning, hail, slippery rock, and rapid temperature drops. Climbers must register in person and check both enforced falcon closures and the voluntary June closure.
Notice these
- Five- and six-sided columns widening to roughly ten feet rather than a grid of identical hexagons
- Red Spearfish beds, pale gypsum, and Sundance sandstone surrounding the gray igneous core
- Prayer cloths, the historic stake ladder, climbers, prairie dogs, and falcons as evidence of several overlapping stories