On my way to Bozeman, I made a pit stop in the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming and camped in the shadow of Devils Tower. To all of my fellow campers out there, stay at the KOA! Devils Tower stands a menacing 1,2367 feet above the surrounding terrain and the summit is 5,112 feet above sea level. To help put it in perspective, the peak is the size of a football field!
Devils Tower is an incredible site to see. The colossal monument is awe-inspiring pilar representing the incredible power of our natural eco-system. The Tower unfurls front the earth as if the ground erupted. Extraordinary.
Devils Tower is this country's first national monument. Established by President Theodore Roosevelt on Sept. 24, 1906
Geologists agree that Devils Tower was formed by the intrusion of igneous material; however they can not agree on "how" it was formed. Some believe it is the remains of the molten rock that "didn't surface", while other believe the Tower is the result of a large "explosive" volcano. I have no thoughts on the subject either way, other than the fact it's very cool! ;)
(A close-up of the columns). American Indian legends tell of six Lakota Sioux girls who were picking flowers when they were chased by bears. Feeling sorry for them, the Great Spirit raised the ground beneath the girls. The bears tried to climb the rock, but fell off, leaving their scratch marks on the sides. The Lakota Sioux Indians refer to it as Mato Tipila, which means “Bear Lodge”. It's still considered a sacred site for native americans.
The Tower's most important role in history is that of the landing pad for aliens in Steven Spielberg's 1977 blockbuster "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"! :)