Devils Tower National Monument was the first designated national monument of United States, established on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt. Indigenous names for the monolith include “Bear’s House” or “Bear’s Lodge”.
The Tower is an astounding geologic feature that protrudes out of the prairie surrounding the Black Hills. It is considered sacred by Northern Plains Indians and indigenous people. Hundreds of parallel cracks make it one of the finest crack climbing areas in North America. We stopped at this place in 2017 on our way to South Dakota.
Tower Trail – This trail goes around the base of the Tower and is 1.3 miles long. We walked around the trail, appreciating the monolith’s immense size and unique geological features. We were also able to watch a couple of rock climbers scaling the tower.
Tower Life – At home on the Tower, Chipmunks can be seen during the day scampering up and down columns. Rock doves fly from ledges. Turkey vultures and golden eagles soar above the Tower.
