Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [151]
A voluntary climbing ban is observed each June out of respect for American Indian religious ceremonies that take place on Devils Tower at that time.
Organized Tours & Ranger Programs
A variety of talks, walks, and other activities are scheduled, mostly in summer. Check at the visitor center for locations and times.
Interpretive Talks. Meet a park ranger in front of the visitor center for bear tales and interpretive talks about climbing, geology, and tower trivia. Programs last about 20 minutes and are wheelchair accessible.
Tower Walk. Meet a park ranger in front of the visitor center and enjoy a lively walk as the sun rises above the tower. Good walking shoes and water are recommended. These guided walks last about 1½ hours and end on the Tower Trail (see "Day Hikes," below).
Evening Programs. Learn more about America's first national monument by the glow of a campfire. Join a park ranger in the monument's amphitheater each evening from Memorial Day through Labor Day. During inclement weather, programs may move to the picnic shelter.
Cultural Program Series. During the summer, Devils Tower plays host to scholars, artists, and performers who bring their expertise to the monument. They include American Indian story-tellers, musicians, historians, costumed interpreters, photographers, poets, and astronomers.
Day Hikes
Devils Tower will announce itself (through your windshield) miles before you arrive. In fact, you may drive to within a few hundred yards of the tower, but the real highlight of any nonclimbing visit to Devils Tower is the park's trails; get out and enjoy them. Pets are not allowed on trails.
The paved 1.3-mile Tower Trail, rated easy, goes all the way around the tower, offering close-up views of the tower on fairly level ground. Wayside exhibits tell the Devils Tower story.
There are several other trails: the scenic Red Beds Trail, 3 miles; Southside Trail, .6 mile; Joyner Ridge Trail, 1.5 miles; Valley View Trail, .6 mile (combine Southside and Valley View for 1.2 miles). None of the trails gets very crowded, so these are a good way to examine the terrain around the monument, including the pine forest and the prairie dog town, and avoid some of the summer crowds.
Camping
Located a mile from the monument's headquarters, Belle Fourche Campground is open from April through October and rarely fills up except around the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August. The campground's 40 sites accommodate RVs (up to 35 ft. long) and tents on a first-come, first-served basis. Each campsite has a cooking grill, table, and nearby drinking water. There are no showers, RV hookups, or dump station. Sites costs $12 per night; there are three group sites, which cost $2 per person per night, with a six-person minimum. The adjacent Valley View Trail skirts a giant prairie dog town. The campground's amphitheater offers excellent interpretive ranger programs.
Those looking for a commercial campground with RV hookups and hot showers will find the Devils Tower KOA, P.O. Box 100, Devils Tower, WY 82714 (☎ 800/KOA-5785 or 307/467-5395; www.devilstowerkoa.com), just outside the monument entrance. Open from May through September, it offers 56 RV sites, 100 tent sites, and 11 camping cabins (which share two bathhouses and other campground facilities). Rates for two adults are $24 to $45 in hookup sites, $21 for tents, and $52 for cabins (DISC, MC, V). Amenities include a heated pool, self-service laundry, game room, cafe, two gift shops, horseback rides, hayrides, and a nightly showing of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which was filmed in part at Devils Tower.
Accommodations & Dining
There are no lodging facilities or restaurants within the monument boundaries.
NEAR THE PARK
Recommended in Sundance is the Best Value Inn Bear Lodge, 218 Cleveland St., on Wyo. 14 at