Devils Tower

The tower rises 264 metres from its base in hexagonal and pentagonal columns, formed when magma cooled and contracted underground and the softer sedimentary rock around it eroded away - the columns are among the largest of their kind anywhere. It was made the first national monument in 1906. More than twenty Plains nations hold it sacred under names including Bear Lodge, and the origin story common to several involves children pursued by a bear, the rock rising to save them and the bear's claws cutting the flutes. The Park Service asks climbers to voluntarily refrain during June, when ceremonies take place; compliance is substantial but not complete, and the tension is real. The name Devils Tower came from a mistranslation.

What you actually see

• Columns 264 metres high - among the largest such formations anywhere.
• The first national monument - designated 1906.
• A sacred site to over twenty nations - known as Bear Lodge and other names.
• A voluntary June climbing closure - respected by most but not all.

When to go

May to September; June carries the voluntary climbing closure. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The name derives from a mistranslation and renaming has been proposed repeatedly. The tower base loop is about two kilometres and the only close approach without climbing. Summer heat and prairie rattlesnakes are both present. Parking fills midday.

Nearby

Hulett is north; the Black Hills are east.