enjoying the view
left at the lower lot
In Spring 2023, we took another major road trip to explore several more states including Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota with stops in Oregon and Idaho.
We had to make a stop at Devils Tower in the Black Hills of Wyoming, the first national monument, since Close Encounters of the Third Kind was one of our favorite movies.
Tips and Gotchas
- Signs say to leave your travel trailer in the lower lot, which we did (see photo above about our lonely trailer, BagEnd). It turned out there was parking for vehicles with trailers in the upper lot. If we knew then what we know now, we’d make a run up to the upper lot with our small trailer to see if there was parking before unhitching.
- You won’t find Close Encounters of the Third Kind memorabilia in the visitor center due to licensing.
- Pets aren’t allowed in the buildings or on the trails at Devils Tower, because it is a national monument. Leashed pets can be on the paved parking lot and sidewalks.
What We Loved
We loved the Prairie Dogs. There were several places where we saw open fields filled with hundreds of dirt mounds and Prairie Dogs. They were entertaining, especially hearing them chirp and squeal at each other.
Tip: do not approach or feed them. they can bite and carry plague!
We loved the information found on the interpretive 3-dimensional model of the monument.
We loved standing in awe at the sight of the first national monument and being so near the place that was the focus of the Close Encounters movie.
As geology and rock-hounding buffs, we loved learning about how this giant monument was believed to be formed. Devils Tower is an oddity in an area that is mostly sedimentary rock. The belief is Devils Tower was formed from an igneous intrusion that was exposed by the forces of erosion. The columns that form the monument are familiar as we see the same formations in Eastern Washington and Oregon.
Challenges
One of the draws to this place for us was the Close Encounters movie. It was a challenge finding things having to do with the movie besides the monument. The closest we found on a t-shirt was “Encounters at Devils Tower”.
The upper parking lot is a bit tricky. We don’t suggest taking large RVs or trailers to the upper parking lot.
Although there were several rest rooms, only one was open while we were there.
We have our beagle, Smeagol, who was not allowed almost anywhere. That meant we took turns exploring trails and shops, which we expected and planned for.
