The Devils Tower - Wyoming
I love the wide open spaces of the northern US, during my road trip in April 2014 I departed the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in south-eastern Montana and took the wonderful scenic route along US-212 east toward South Dakota, but after 160 miles as the road arcs into the upper north east corner of Wyoming it reaches a junction with US-112 which leads to the Devils Tower. Which for those of us who have see the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" needs no introduction.
The Devils Tower has many names depending on which tribe you are from, the Arapaho call it Bears Tipi, as do the Cheyenne, Crow legend has it that a Bear clawed the marks into the rock whilst trying to catch two girls, so they too prefer the Bear to the Devil. The Kiowa call it the Tree Rock (possibly because it grew tall like a tree) and the Lakota called it Mato Tipila (Big Bears Lodge)
Owing to the incompetence of an interpreter in 1875 who thought it was called 'Bad God's Tower' it became Devils Tower to the non native tribes that arrived from Europe. Whatever the name it remains an impressive sight on approach.
Owing to the incompetence of an interpreter in 1875 who thought it was called 'Bad God's Tower' it became Devils Tower to the non native tribes that arrived from Europe. Whatever the name it remains an impressive sight on approach.
The tower stands a little over 5000 feet above sea level, around 1300 feet from the river at it's base and around 850 feet from base to summit, the summit itself is around the size of a football field.
A paved trail makes its way around the base of the tower in and out of the boulder field and through the surrounding forest for 2km and is a nice easy walk for people of all abilities.
As you circle the tower it changes shape and maintains your interest throughout. The boulder field shows the result of the constant erosion of the rock which first came to be by igneous intrusion (molten rock pushing up through the surface) the long basalt columns are very reminiscent of the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland.
There are some great views over the surrounding countryside from the circular walk and a number of points of interest highlighting areas on the tower and pointing out features like the long wooden 'stake ladder' that remains wedged into one of the cracks.
In some locations the sheer sides of the tower can appear quite daunting and it does keep you looking up for falling rocks. People still climb the tower, mostly free climbing (without ropes or safety gear) the fastest ever being 18 minutes by a Wyoming native named Todd Skinner
Though small rocks do fall from the tower there has been no major fall of a basalt column witnessed in over 200 years which is quite impressive given the exposed location.
After making the circular walk the small visitor centre is worth calling into so you can stock up on all things 'Devils Tower' from mugs to sweatshirts and everything in between.
On the road out don't forget to stop at the gopher field where hundreds of the little critters will happily pose for photographs, but don't feed them no matter how much they beg.
Leaving the tower and heading south to join the interstate I stopped to grab a shot of the tower from some distance away, still looming large on the horizon