America's first national monument — an 867-foot stone tower out of nowhere.
Devils Tower erupts from the rolling pine-and-prairie country of northeast Wyoming with no warning at all — a fluted column of igneous rock 867 feet tall, its hexagonal sides looking less like geology than like something built. Teddy Roosevelt made it the country's very first national monument in 1906, and it's been stopping travelers cold ever since, most famously as the alien landing site in Spielberg's 1977 Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
But long before any of that, this was a sacred place. More than twenty Native nations — Lakota, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and others — hold the Tower sacred as Matȟó Thípila, "Bear Lodge." You'll see prayer cloths tied to the pines along the base trail; leave them be. Through June, when many ceremonies take place, the park asks climbers to voluntarily refrain from climbing the Tower or scrambling inside the Tower Trail loop, out of respect — and most do. The Tower stays open to walk and wonder at year-round.
You don't need long here — a half day covers it. Loop the paved Tower Trail around the base to feel the scale, watch the prairie dog town chatter near the entrance, and time Joyner Ridge for sunset, when the columns glow amber and, after dark, the Milky Way arcs straight over the top. It's remote enough that most travelers fold it into a wider Black Hills loop — and it earns its place at the center of one.
Devils Tower is a short drive off I-90 that repays the detour more than almost any other stop in Wyoming, because the approach is the experience: the tower appears above the ridgeline miles before you reach it and grows the whole way in. There is not much road inside the monument — a climb up to the base and a loop around it — and there does not need to be.
Off I-90 at Sundance (exit 185) or Moorcroft (exit 153), roughly 27 miles of US-14 either way to Devils Tower Junction, then six miles north on WY-24 past the Belle Fourche River. The tower is visible from a long way out and the road bends toward it, which is why the drive in is the part people remember. Follow the signs rather than the satnav — the park warns that some GPS units get this one wrong.
Climbs from the river through ponderosa pine to the visitor center at the foot of the tower, past the prairie dog town on the flat below. Three miles or so, and the tower fills the windshield most of the way.
This is the drive that matters. The tower shows itself above the hills long before you arrive and keeps reappearing as the road turns, which is a better introduction than any viewpoint at the end could be.
TipCome at the end of the day — the west face takes the evening light, the monument stays open after dark, and there is little enough out here that the Milky Way comes up over the top of it.
Climbing and off-trail scrambling are voluntarily paused each June out of respect for the tribes who hold the Tower sacred
The road and the walking trail circle the base, and that is the extent of the driving. It is enough — the tower changes shape completely as you go round it, which is not obvious from any single view.
TipStop at the prairie dog town on the flat on the way in or out. It is on the road and costs nothing but a few minutes.
The signature walk — a 1.3-mile paved loop circling the base through ponderosa pine and a tumbled boulder field, serving up the monolith from every angle as it looms 867 feet overhead.
Insider tipGo early morning or late afternoon to dodge the midday crowds and shadeless sun, and walk it counter-clockwise so the most dramatic south-side base views hit first. Anyone climbing or scrambling above the boulder field has to register first — it's free, at the climbing kiosk by the Tower Trail head in the visitor center parking lot.
Plan a trip to this spot →One of the country's premier crack-climbing destinations — roughly 200 routes seam the hexagonal columns, the 1938 Durrance Route the classic line. Through June, climbers are asked to voluntarily refrain out of respect for Native ceremonies.
Insider tipThe June closure is a request, not a rule — and respect is the point: June is when many of the ceremonies held by the 20-plus tribes who regard the Tower as sacred take place, and the Park Service says voluntary compliance has cut June climbing sharply. The request covers scrambling inside the Tower Trail loop too. Visiting then, leave the rope packed and never touch the prayer cloths tied in the trees.
Plan a trip to this spot →A quieter 1.5-mile loop along the north boundary, rolling from meadow to forest to ridge with wide-open Tower views from the northwest — and a fraction of the base trail's foot traffic.
Insider tipThis is the sunset and Milky Way spot: the trailhead lot is widely considered the best photo perch in the park. Arrive an hour before sunset, stake out the ridge, and you'll likely have the solitude the base never offers.
Plan a trip to this spot →A 40-acre black-tailed prairie dog colony — 600-plus residents — sprawls across the prairie near the entrance road, the chattering welcome committee you meet before the Tower even comes fully into view.
Insider tipPull off at the marked turnouts in late afternoon, when the colony is liveliest and the light is soft. They're a keystone species — watch from the road, never feed them, and keep an eye skyward for the foxes and hawks they draw.
Plan a trip to this spot →The park's longest hike — a 2.8-mile loop through deep-red Triassic badlands with sweeping views over the Belle Fourche River valley and the Tower from angles most visitors never see.
Insider tipIt's largely shadeless with about 500 feet of up-and-down, so carry water and start early in summer. Hike it clockwise from the visitor center to save the best red-rock-and-river panoramas for the back half.
Plan a trip to this spot →Where the Belle Fourche River bends below the Tower you get the postcard reflection by day and one of Wyoming's darkest skies by night — the very monument that drew the mothership in Spielberg's 1977 Close Encounters.
Insider tipThe park is open 24/7, so stay after dark: the Tower glows amber at sunset, then the Milky Way arcs right over it. Set up near the campground or river overlook, and check the visitor center for summer ranger astronomy programs.
Plan a trip to this spot →Northeast Wyoming high plains: cold, snowy winters (January highs in the mid-30s, single-digit nights) and warm summers (July highs in the mid-80s) with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. It's semi-arid — about 18 inches a year, wettest in late spring — and the seasons flip fast, so pack layers in any month.
The Tower is remote, so where you sleep is about how close you want to be — at the base under the stars, in a tiny gateway town, or out in the Black Hills.
The Devils Tower KOA sits right at the entrance on the Belle Fourche River and screens Close Encounters free on an outdoor screen nightly in season — the film was shot here in 1976. Inside the monument, the NPS Belle Fourche River Campground offers about 46 tent and RV sites (no hookups) under the cottonwoods, mid-May to mid-October.
Booking tipBelle Fourche is first-come, first-served and fills on summer afternoons — arrive by early afternoon, or book the KOA ahead for a guaranteed spot and the nightly movie.
Hulett, Wyoming — about 9 miles north and the closest town — is tiny but handy (The Hulett Motel, Best Western Devils Tower Inn). Sundance, ~27 miles southeast on I-90, has the family-run Bear Lodge Motel and a few small inns. Both put you 15–30 minutes from the entrance.
Booking tipHulett is the closer, more atmospheric base (under 15 minutes out); Sundance is the easy on/off-I-90 choice. Either town's handful of rooms book up around big summer events, so reserve early.
Many travelers don't sleep near the Tower at all — they base in the Black Hills and day-trip out. Spearfish and Deadwood are about an hour east; Rapid City, the region's hub with the most lodging and the nearest airport, is roughly 1.5 hours.
Booking tipUse a Black Hills base when you're combining the Tower with Mount Rushmore, Spearfish Canyon, and Deadwood — and pair the Tower with Spearfish Canyon the same day, since both sit on the western side of the loop.
How much does it cost, and do I need a reservation?
Entry is $25 per vehicle, good for 7 days ($20 motorcycle, $15 per person 16 and older on foot or bike; a monument annual pass is $45 and America the Beautiful passes are accepted). As of 2026 the monument is cashless — card or digital payment only, no cash — and you can buy the pass ahead on Recreation.gov to skip the queue at the entrance station. There's no timed entry; just arrive during operating hours.
What is the voluntary June climbing closure?
Through June the Park Service asks climbers to voluntarily refrain from climbing the Tower, or scrambling inside the Tower Trail loop, because June is when many of the ceremonies held by the tribes who regard it as sacred take place. It's a request, not a law, and the park reports that it has cut June climbing sharply. Everything else stays open — the visitor center and every trail, including the paved Tower Trail around the base.
When is the best time to visit?
Late spring and early fall (May–June and September) offer the best mix of mild weather and thinner crowds; September is a local favorite for comfortable highs. Midsummer brings the biggest crowds and afternoon heat, so go early in the day. The monument is open year-round, but winter brings snow, ice, and limited services — check conditions first.
How do I get there?
Devils Tower is in remote northeastern Wyoming on WY-24, nine miles south of Hulett. From I-90 you come in on US-14 — from Sundance (exit 185) to the east, about 27 miles, or from Moorcroft (exit 153) to the west, a similar run. Some GPS units misdirect people out here, so follow the highway signs at Devils Tower Junction. The most useful airport is Rapid City Regional (RAP) in South Dakota, roughly 100–120 miles east — about a 1.5-to-2-hour drive. A car is essential; there's no transit to the monument.
Are there gas, food, and cell service?
No gas station or restaurant inside the monument, and a small visitor-center bookstore but no full services. Fuel up and grab supplies in Hulett or Sundance before you arrive; the KOA at the entrance has a store and a seasonal eatery. Cell coverage is spotty out here, so download maps in advance.
How long do I need?
A half day is plenty for most visitors: the 1.3-mile paved Tower Trail loops the base in about an hour, plus time at the visitor center and overlooks. Because it's somewhat out of the way, most people fold it into a Black Hills loop — Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, and Spearfish Canyon are all within reach.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
