An iconic natural monolith in northeastern Wyoming is celebrating 120 years of being an “American first”.
Devils Tower monolith, which rises 286 metres above the Belle Fourche River and has been an important physical and spiritual landmark for thousands of years, was declared the first U.S. Monument in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt.
National monuments protect a wide variety of natural and historic resources.
Dominating the landscape, you can spot the tower from miles away. Northern Plains and other Indigenous tribes have always weaved stories and held ceremonies under the shadow of the tower, and all have their own names for this sacred place, including Bear Lodge, as the tower is often referred to locally.
Every June, the monument closes to rock climbers so that the tribes can celebrate their spiritual practices.
A popular way to appreciate the tower, which featured in the classic Steven Spielberg movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, is to take the 1.3-mile Tower Trail that winds around the base and gives visitors the chance to see the enormous rock from all sides.
Devils Tower National Monument is open for visitors year-round, and admission is $25 (£19) per vehicle.
Trade (and consumer) friendly operator Journeyscape features a visit to Devils Tower as part of its ‘Icons and National Parks of the Great American West by Motorhome’ tour.
The 15-day holiday is priced from £2,950pp.
journeyscape.com; greatamericanwest.co.uk
