Devils Tower WY - 2023

Our first glimpse of Devils Tower was hazed over by smoke from the wild fires in Canada but still, how can you not be in awe of this massive structure?

The KOA we stayed at was right outside the park entrance. Here are a couple shots outside of the RV.

We hiked from the lower parking lot up to and around the base of the tower, a total of 5 miles. It was great to a look at all sides!

Devils Tower National Monument is a sacred place for over 20 American Indian Tribes. Along the trail you will find prayer bundles on tree branches. They encourage you not to take pictures but to breathe the air and think about someone you love. Although I took their advice and thought about all those I love, I needed one picture to share.

Devils Tower is 867 ft. tall, the summit width is 180 x 300 ft. and formed 50 to 60 million years ago.

The pictures below show what is called The Window. It is on the east side and one of the Tower's most distinctive features.

Here is some interesting information about the columns.

You can really see the columns in this photo.

Another couple offered to take our picture.

1000's of people climb Devils Tower every year. All climbers have to register in order to be able to climb. There were climbers on the east and west side while we were hiking.

The boulder field on the west side was massive. It was really cool how they made a paved path through the big boulders.

On our hike out of the parking lot and back to the Jeep, we had to walk through part of the prairie dog field. They weren't out in the open when we started around 6am but they were all over when we were headed back.

Because we wanted to get our hike started so we would be done before it got too hot, I saved grabbing a photo of The Circle of Sacred Smoke until we were done. This sculpture was created in 2008 by a Japanese artist named Junkyo Muto. His sculptures are at significant spiritual places around the world including the Vatican City, Rome, and Bodh Gaya, India. The sculptures stone base comes from the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The sculpture represents a puff of smoke and its location is where White Buffalo Calf Woman delivered the first sacred pipe to the Lakota people.