Northeast Wyoming is home to one of the most remarkable landscape features in the United States. The towering mass of volcanic rock known as Devils Tower has long been the destination of curious travelers and is the source of several Native American legends describing the origin of the rock formation. In the fall of 2014 we made a short detour on our way from Indiana to Seattle to see this striking and beautiful gift from Earth.
One of, if not the most striking geologic feature in Wyoming
Detail image of each “column” that is about 8 feet across!
One of the legends of the origin of the tower tells the story of girls who were pursued by a huge bear. The girls prayers were answered when the Great Spirit caused the rock to raise from the ground with the girls safely on top. The bear attempted to climb the smooth sides of the rock, and his claws made the distinctive shapes we see today.
Geologists tell us that the tower was made when volcanic intrusions of lava pushed up into thick layers of sandstone, now eroded away after millions of years. The rock, an igneous basalt type, took on the shapes of columns when it cooled. Called a columnar formation, this shape is not uncommon and can be found in rocks all over the world.
The Devils Tower was the first designated US National Monument, so declared by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. The first Caucasians saw the tower in the 1850’s. It was the site of the famous finish of the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Roadtirement 
Sue and I hiked the long trail around the monument on our x-country RV trip
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Bet that was a great hike! It must have been a real treat to see all vista views of the Tower. Thank you for the visit and for chiming in.
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Thank you so much for your fascinating post and the photos that give us a vision of this spectacular geological feature.
Joanna
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So glad you enjoyed this post, Joanna! Thanks for the kind comment. 😉
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You are more than welcome!
Joanna
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We were in Wyoming in 2014…..I couldn’t believe it when I saw it on the map …. I loved Close Encounters but had no idea the Tower was real!! It was such a treat to visit….
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It really is most impressive as you said. I suspect many saw the movie and had no idea the Tower is real! 😉
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I loved this place. I stopped to see it in 2006. it was cloaked in fog and I could only see the base. Hope I get back one day. Thanks for sharing. Cheers
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Bet that foggy day was visually creepy. Thanks for coming by! 😉
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It was, I pull out my old photo albums and look at it sometimes.
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I like the Indian legend best
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A marvelous interpretation, isn’t it? Thanks, Derrick!
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What an amazing legend! I love all the stories passed down through generations about iconic landmarks.
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Like you, we like the legends as well. Thank you for commenting.
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