Not only is it one of a kind, it was declared this nation's very first national monument in 1906. Devils Tower National Monument Park is located in Northeast Wyoming, in the Bear Lodge Mountains, part of the Black Hills Mountain Range. A“laccolith formation” of igneous rock that, to this day, has scientists arguing over how it formed, Devils Tower became a symbol of “out-of-this world happenings” in Steven Spielberg's 1977 science-fiction film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, starring Richard Dreyfus and Teri Garr. The film was such a marked success that, last year, Sony issued a 40th year special edition of the film for movie enthusiasts. Spielberg wrote and directed the film which was up for eight Academy Awards, winning the coveted Best Cinematography Film.
The way the Devils Tower rises, starkly 1,267-feet above surrounding grasslands and ponderosa pine forests, is kind of mind-boggling. While there are other monuments of its unique kind, it has become an attraction for visitors from around the world. RV'ers, who discover it and its surroundings, find this real cowboy-country well worth visiting. Not only is there a large campground located within the park itself, right on the Belle Fourche River in the midst of honest-to-goodness cowboy country, but there is dispersed camping in the woodlands of the national forest that is on the border of Wyoming and South Dakota, operated by the concessionaire Forest Recreation Management, Inc, under the U.S Forest Service. There are also some very nice campgrounds in the area usually open May to October. Wyoming winters are a bit discouraging, but farmers and ranchers find the area great for cattle and produce of various kinds.
The Devils Tower National Monument Park is operated by the National Park Service (NPS) in a varied area that has always been rich in wildlife, and home to a number of American Indian Tribes including Lakota Sioux, which had relatively small populations until fairly recent major energy discoveries. Coal has long been mined here, but oil and coal methane gas, along with other important natural resources have bounced population numbers upward in urban areas. However, the area still remains rich in herds of moose, buffalo (American bison), elk, antelope, pheasant, grouse, rabbits and other wildlife, including abundant birdlife and rivers and lakes abundant in fish varieties. There are large ranches where both cattle and bison are raised.
Devils Tower National Monument Park camping is at Belle Fourche River Campground, where 50 sites are available for RVs and travel trailers. Maximum length, however, is 35-feet for both. Tenting areas are plentiful and there is dispersed camping available in nearby Black Hills National Forest, as well as primitive camping in some areas within the Devils Tower National Monument Park. The campground does not offer hookups, although fresh drinking water is available, along with sanitary amenities. Tenting and overflow dry camping areas are available at $20, and limited to no more than eight people, two vehicles and four motorcycles. Additional vehicles or motorcycles can be parked at nearby picnic areas. Group camping sites accommodate up to 20 people, with a maximum of four vehicles at $30 per night. There also are four ADA accessible sites available at $20 per night. Wheelchairs should be able to manage paved roads and picnic areas, while sites are gravel and grass.
The campground is expected to open for the season in the first or second week of May. There is a 14-day occupancy limit for all campsites. For more information, call (307) 467-5283 or visit nps.gov. The park is operated seasonally, from May to October, depending upon weather. Camping is allowed only in the campground area and NPS personnel warn that summer days can become quite hot, often over 100-degrees, while rain showers occur, sometimes with hail. Spring weather in Wyoming can be very unpredictable. Temperature changes can result in hypothermia. Earlier this month, the national monument park has been experiencing freezing weather and snow, but the end of April is forecast to be in the 50's – 60's. The beginning of May will be an ideal time to visit with forecast reaching in the 70's and higher.
Right outside the park, north of Devils Tower Trading Post, is Devils Tower/Black Hills KOA, which opens May 14 – October 15. The KOA offers full resort amenities, including heated swimming pool, playground, a cafe and gift shop, clean restrooms and showers with laundry facilities. There are both pull-throughs and back-ins for RVs and travel trailers with 30/50-amp services. There is a large tenting area and RV overflow area for dry camping, along with KOA Kabins near the Belle Fourche River. Check in time is 1 p.m., checkout is at 11 a.m. Hayrides, movies and wildlife viewing provides a good mix of entertainment. There is even a 10-percent discount for campers at the park's Cattle Kate's Cafe and the Cowboy General Store to explore. The Devils Tower/Black Hills KOA is located at 60 Highway 110, Devils Tower, Wyoming, 82714.
Another camping destination is 21 miles away at Keyhole State Park, 353 McKean Rd., Moorcroft, Wyo., 82721. This Wyoming State Park offers a wide variety of activities such as: RV camping and tenting, swimming, boating and water sports in Keyhole Reservoir, playground activities, horseback riding and horse stabling, mountain climbing, picnicking, and a shooting range. Day-use fee is $4 for Wyoming residents, $6 for non-residents; camping at $10 for residents, $17 for non-residents plus the day fee.
For wanna-be climbers, there is a climbing school with accommodations at Devils Tower Climbing and Devils Tower Lodge located on 21-acres of pristine land at the tower's foot. The school is not associated with either the National Park Service or with the National Monument. Owned and operated by Frank Sanders, internationally known for his many, many climbs of Devils Tower, the Lodge and Climbing operation has been in existence for the past 19 years. The Lodge, features six bed and breakfast rooms, three of which are designed for a single couple and three which are more designed for group couples, of two or more.
“It was the turn of the millennium when I came out here,” Sanders recalls. A native of Maryland with time spent in Tennessee, he came to Wyoming because of the tower. “I was very fortunate enough to find these 21-pristine acres at the Tower's base, which I purchased,” says Sanders. So well-known for his climbing, throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, he holds the record for the number of times climbing the Devils Tower. Frank has climbed the 1,200-foot tower every day for an entire year. His exploits are seen in the movie, “Frank and the Tower” on Vimeo and elsewhere. Franks says that while he has done a great deal of climbing mountains and interesting rock formations everywhere, he is still writing his autobiography, indicating there are even more fascinating “adventures ahead.” For more information on Devils Tower Climbing and the Devils Tower Lodge, you may call (307) 467-5267.
Frank Sanders, who knows his neighborhood very well, lists the “Best” in the Devils Towers area as: the Best Hike in the Park is the paved 1.2 mile trail around the Base of the Tower (plenty of park benches for rests and a stellar, up-close experience); the Best Camping would be at Devils Tower KOA; the Best Local Museum is the Hulett Museum at 115 HWY 24 in Hulett (free admission); the Best Horseback Riding is at Diamond 7 Bar Guest Ranch; and the Best Gift Shop is at the Devils Tower Trading Post located at the entrance to Devils Tower. When you stop in this trading post, you'll find an old fashioned ice cream parlor, one-of-a-kind glassware and ceramics, beer options, and of course Devils Tower souvenirs.