

Rapid City, South Dakota has a larger airport, making this is a great home base, not only for visiting Devils Tower, but for exploring this part of the country. The closest airport is located in Gillette, Wyoming. Billings, Montana: 265 miles, 4.25 hours.Yellowstone National Park: 350 hours, 6 hours.Gillette, Wyoming: 66 miles, 1.25 hours.Rapid City, South Dakota:107 miles, 1.75 hours.Here are driving distances and times from nearby destinations: If you have plans to visit both Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone, there are several driving routes to choose from that cross Wyoming and Devils Tower can easily be added to this road trip. You can visit Devils Tower on a day trip from Rapid City or as part of a road trip across the USA.
#DEVILS TOWER WYOMING TOP MOVIE#
It can be seen for miles on a clear day.ĭevils Tower was featured in the 1977 movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which turns the tower into an alien landing site.ĭevils Tower is located in northeastern Wyoming. Over millions of years, the sedimentary rock eroded away, gradually revealing Devils Tower.ĭevils Tower rises 867 feet from its base and stands 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River.
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As the magma cooled, it formed hexagonal columns of igneous rock. The most likely theory is this: 50 million years ago, molten lava was forced into underground layers of sedimentary rock. There are several theories about the formation of Devils Tower. He made Wyoming home not only to the first national monument, but also the first national park, Yellowstone National Park. These are prayer offerings and sometimes the cloths are placed in remembrance of another person.ĭevils Tower was the first national monument in the USA, established on Septemby President Theodore Roosevelt. As you walk around Devils Tower, you will see colorful cloths tied to the trees. They call the tower by names like Bear Lodge, Ghost Mountain, and Mythic-Owl Mountain.Įvery year, ceremonies are conducted at Devils Tower by local tribes. Devils Tower has long been sacred to Native Americans.Six tribes have a geographical or cultural tie to the tower, with the Lakota people having one of the strongest connections.
