Devils Tower is great in that it offers some really great hiking trails ,as well as, stargazing!
Tower Loop Trail
The most popular trail in the park is a paved 1.3 mile loop that begins across the parking lot at the visitor’s center. This is a fantastic place to take family pictures in front of this incredible monolith.
TIP: While it’s a short trail, it’s a rather steep trail. Be prepared for this before you head up
Red Beds Trail
This 2.8 mile loop offers incredible views of the Tower and the Belle Fourche Valley. This trail is also accessed from the Visitor Center parking lot.
TIP: Overall a pretty easy trail, but it does have some elevation change and steep areas. Please wear appropriate shoes – you’ll thank me later!
Joyner Ridge Trail
This is probably the least used trail loop, but it provides incredible views of Devils Tower. The Joyner Ridge Trail is a 1.5 mile loop that is accessed by a dirt road off the main park road.
Stargazing
If you’re able, we highly recommend staying for the Night Sky program. Truly, the night sky at Devils Tower is unlike anywhere else. With no light pollution, the night sky will take on a whole new perspective. Naturally, one of the constellations you can see is Ursa Major “The Great Bear”. Check at the Visitor’s Center to inquire about the Night Sky program to get more details and viewing times.
What an impressive monument! I’s love to see this up close in person. I’m going to save this post in hopes of a future visit! Thanks for the great guide!
Hannah
I didn’t even know this existed and just seeing your photos at times reminds me of Iceland! The US really has some gems. Thanks for all the info! Adding this to my list.
Wow, I’ve never been to Wyoming but I’d love to go one day! Great post!
Wow! What a beautiful place to visit! I would love to travel here one day!
I had to Google where Devil’s Tower was! LOL! I have never heard of it before. Thank you for such an insightful post!
This is awesome! It’s such a phenomenal site. This guide felt very complete, I almost felt like I was there, the pictures are great.
What a cool trip! I love that you are able to get right up close to it instead of having to enjoy from afar.
Devils Tower looks like an awesome spot to hike. What a visual!
I’m so glad you mentioned not touching the prayer flags! We were also sad to see people climbing during June, when they are asked not to out of respect. Great post with lots of information!
These rock formations are always impressive. We got to see similar ones in California and in the Auvergne region in France. What’s actually interesting is that in California, they are called Devils Postpile. Wonder whether others also bear the name Devil?
I´ve never heard of the Devils Tower before, but you´ve inspired me to visit! The picture of your son during his first visit vs recent is so cute! My kids are toddlers and I just cann´t believe how fast they grow! The Devils Tower looks out of this world!
I’d never heard of Devils Tower until I read your post! What a great place to visit – thank you such detailed information!
So otherworldly. I missed out on our road trip up there. Great post!
Ahhh! I love Close Encounters! This is awesome! Thanks for sharing.
First of all, the photo comparison of your son on both visits is amazing! I would love to visit Devils Tower and hike some of the nearby trails. Maybe I will be able to take my future kids twice too 🙂
This is so interesting! I do remember the iconic Devils Tower from the movie, but I had no idea it was a sacred place. Seeing the climbers gave me a real perspective of just how enormous it is. WOW! The “Wind Circle” art installation adds a beautiful, meaningful compliment to this scene, too. I’ve added a trip to Devils Tower to my summer bucket list!
What a beautiful place! I have never heard of it before, but I just added it to my bucket list (like the literal list lol). Thank you so much for sharing.
I didn’t know this existed! What an amazing place to visit!
I actually had never heard of Devil’s Tower before, thanks for sharing about it! I like that there are various trails around it to be able to see it from different viewpoints.
Sounds like it pays to have a child in the 4th grade when your whole family gets free access to many parks and monuments, haha!
I was wondering how the name Devils Tower came to be – now I know! I also didn’t realize the location was in famous films. Great info!
As a fan of Close Encounters this was a delightful read! Have saved this post for my trip back as I just have to experience the stargazing here!
If you’ve ever seen a petrified/fossilized forest, you’ll see what I mean when I say it looks sOOOOOOO much like an old tree stump! I love places like this and can’t wait to be in the states and visit
Awesome pics! Haven’t explored this part Wyoming yet, but adding it to the list of future explorations. Thanks!