I haven’t seen the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind since it came out in theaters (yes, that’s a clue about how old I am!) but now I want to see it again. There is a 1.3 mile walk around the base of the tower which is lovely. These photos are counter-clockwise order!
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- All of the National Parks and Monuments I have visited have acknowledged the historical relationship of Native Americans with those sites, but this one is the only one I have been to where there is an active present-day Native ritual presence. There were numerous prayer bundles and cloths around the base of the Tower.
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- View from the base of the Tower, including the Belle Fourche River
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- There are people on the path around the Tower base, so you get a sense of proportion.
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- Native American prayer cloths
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- Native American prayers cloths
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- Climbers! It is 867 feet (264 meters) from the visitor center to the top of the Tower. The top of the Tower is about 1.25 acres.
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- “Prairie Dog Town” is at the base of Devils Tower. And yes, that is as cute as it sounds. There were many more dogs out in the morning when I zipped by, too eager to get to Devils Tower. A word to the wise: stop to see the prairie dogs in the morning.
