A Little History
Rising 867 feet above the surrounding plains of northeast Wyoming, Devils Tower became America’s very first national monument when President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed it on September 24, 1906. Long before that, the Lakota, Cheyenne, Kiowa and other tribes held it sacred, and many know it as Bear Lodge. One traditional story says the deep grooves in its columns are claw marks left by a giant bear. The first known climb to the top came on July 4, 1893, when two local ranchers scaled it using a ladder of wooden pegs.
Our Visit
ALIENS, ALIENS, ALIENS… 🤣 Devils Tower has been on my bucket list FOR YEARS! I’ve been a fan of sci-fi ever since I was young, and we all know the film. It was great to finally see it in person. To be honest, the film did a GREAT job of capturing just how massive the tower is.
No Dogs on the Trail
At first, I took Lola with me, and we walked around the visitor center and the grounds. She sniffed everything in sight and made a few friends along the way. However, once again: “No dogs on the trail.” So Lola had to stay behind in the truck.
(I’d like to point out how glad I am that the nights were cold and the days were in the 65–70s. At least I could leave Lola in the truck and not worry.)
Hiking the Trail at Devils Tower
After grabbing my merch, I brought Lola back to the truck, grabbed my Canon camera and ran to the trail to get some pictures. Once again, I’ll have to come back and spend lots of time here.
The trail loops around the front of the tower. Funny enough, while I was taking pictures from the paved path, I didn’t even realize it snakes back in between the huge boulders. I thought that was kinda cool.
The Prayer Cloths
Along the trail, you’ll also notice colorful cloths and small bundles tied to the trees. These are prayer cloths, left by Native Americans as part of traditional ceremonies. More than two dozen tribes, including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Crow, Arapaho and Shoshone, have ties to Devils Tower. For them, the cloths are a living connection to a sacred place. Because of that, the National Park Service asks visitors not to touch, disturb or photograph them. I did take photos of the prayer cloths before finding this out. However, out of respect for those tribes, I won’t publish them publicly. ❤️
Afterward, I jogged back to the truck, where Lola was waiting for me. Then we packed everything up and headed back to camp.
Next stop: Yellowstone’s Upper Loop →
Enjoying the adventures?
Buy my human a coffee for the long drives, or buy me a biscuit. 25% of your purchase goes to local rescues & shelters. — Lola 🐾
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