Devils Tower
America's first national monument, and a place that repays slowing down.
Devils Tower rises out of the pine and red rock of northeast Wyoming, and it is visible from a long way off. Theodore Roosevelt declared it the country's first national monument in 1906.
Walking the base
The Tower Trail is a paved loop of roughly a mile and a third that circles the base of the tower. It is the thing to do here. The tower changes character completely as you walk around it — the columns catch light differently on each side, and the scale only really lands when you are standing underneath.
There are longer trails through the surrounding meadows and ponderosa if you want quieter ground and a view of the tower from further back.
A sacred place
The tower is sacred to a number of Northern Plains tribes, and it carries names in several languages that long predate the one on the map. You will see prayer cloths tied to trees along the Tower Trail. Leave them be, and give people at prayer their privacy.
Out of respect for June ceremonies, climbers are asked to voluntarily stay off the tower for that month.
Getting there
It is a solid drive from Rapid City, and most people make a full day of it, often looping through Spearfish Canyon or Sundance on the way. The prairie dog town near the park entrance is worth the stop.