Devil’s Tower National Monument | Plan Your Visit
Many people know Yellowstone National Park was the first designated national park. But did you know Wyoming also has the first official national monument? Devil’s Tower in northeast Wyoming holds that honor. We, like many other travelers, explored the national monument on our way to Mount Rushmore.
Here are a few tips to help you plan your visit to Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming.
Accessing the National Monument
When we arrived at the entrance to Devil’s Tower National Monument, we discovered that many other people had the same idea we did to visit. We waited in line for about 15-20 minutes to get into the park. But if gave us time to capture a few photos of Devil’s Tower in relation to the “small town” below.
At the main entrance, you’ll find the Devil’s Tower Trading Post. There’s also a little cafe and the entrance to the KOA campground. If you’re looking for the Visitor Center, that’s up near the trailhead around Devil’s Tower itself.
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The trading post provides lots of souvenir options – patches, keychains, apparel, mugs and more. You can grab a little treat or drink there, too. We hit this spot up on our way out of the national monument, but you can visit it either direction.
The Hike Around Devil’s Tower
After paying the entrance fee – or showing your annual parks pass – follow the road up to the Visitor Center. There is a lot of parking available, but on a busy day, you may have to be patient.
Take a restroom break while at the Visitors Center before you begin the one-mile hike around Devil’s Tower. Especially if you have kids. There are no restrooms along the trail.
The one-mile trail is super easy. There are small inclines and descents. The path is a paved trail, so a stroller can easily make it all the way around. There are a few overlook offshoots from the main trail. People who have a permit to scale Devil’s Tower will likely venture across the boulder field to make their way up the side. If you aren’t climbing, you should stick to the trail area.
As you make your way around, you’ll see a sign that let’s you know you’ve made it half way. If you’ve got young children, that sign can be a blessing – or a curse. Our youngest saw it and decided he was done and didn’t want to go the rest of the way. “It was taking FOREVER.”
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As we continued around, we did stop at a lookout point with some viewing tubes (not telescopes, just metal tubes to help you see a fixed point on the tower). There was an old wooden ladder used back in the day by climbers. It’s pretty hard to see, even with the metal tube. So don’t be too sad if you can’t spot it.
Stop at Prairie Dog Town
We made a brief stop at Prairie Dog Town on our way out of the area. It was hot and we didn’t want to venture out beyond the viewpoints. I had to laugh at the signs posted everywhere – DO NOT FEED PRAIRIE DOGS. Apparently it’s a thing.
It was interesting to stop and watch the little animals scurry around from hole to hole. If you watched them close enough – through binoculars or a zoom lens – you can see them eating grass or flowers. They’re kinda cute – but just remember to keep your food to yourself.
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Depending on how long you want to watch the critters run around, I don’t anticipate your stop here to be too long. But it’s an opportunity to learn a little more about prairie dogs.
Camp at Devil’s Tower National Monument
We were just passing through the area. But if you’re interested in setting up camp and spending a little more time here, there are two campgrounds in the area. The first one is a KOA near the entrance to the national monument. The KOA campground isn’t affiliated with the national monument, but it is a nearby option.
Belle Forche River Campground is available inside the national monument. There are 46 campsites, and all of them are first come, first served – no reservations. Individual sites are $20, while group campsites are $30. There are no hookups available.
The Details
Address: WY-110, Devils Tower, WY 82714
Parking: Free parking is available at the trading post, campground area and Devil’s Tower trailhead and Visitors Center.
Cost: Entrance fee for a single vehicle is $25 for a 7-day pass. Motorcycles are $20 and $15 per person for those entering on foot or on bicycle. You can purchase an annual parks pass for $80 and get 12 months of access to all the national parks, monuments and more.
Hours: Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Website: https://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm
Phone: (307) 467-5283 x635
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