Devils Tower
Devils Tower is a prominent geological formation located in northeastern Wyoming, standing at 867 feet (264 meters) tall. Formed approximately fifty to sixty million years ago, it is composed of phonolite porphyry, a unique rock that creates a sound when struck. The tower's striking appearance is characterized by its distinctive hexagonal columns, which were formed when magma cooled beneath the surface and later exposed as surrounding sediment eroded away. The site is revered as sacred by several Native American tribes, including the Cheyenne, Lakota Sioux, and Kiowa, who have their own folklore explaining the tower's significance.
Originally named Mato Tipila, meaning "Bear Lodge," the formation was misnamed "Devils Tower" due to a mistranslation by a 19th-century U.S. Army colonel, a title that some Native Americans find disrespectful. Designated as the first national monument in the United States in 1906, Devils Tower has become a popular tourist destination, attracting around 500,000 visitors annually. Its fame was further amplified by its role in the 1977 film *Close Encounters of the Third Kind*, which depicted the tower as a site of extraterrestrial contact. The area offers various recreational activities, including climbing and hiking, while maintaining respect for the cultural practices of Native peoples, especially by prohibiting climbing during the month of June for ceremonies.
Devils Tower
Devils Tower is an 867-foot (264-meter) tall geological formation in Wyoming in the western United States. Scientists believe the formation was created millions of years ago when molten rock forced its way up through the surrounding rock layer and cooled. The tower most likely received its demonic-sounding title as a result of a mistranslation of its Native American name. The site is considered sacred by many native peoples of the region. In 1906, Devils Tower was named the first national monument in US history and has gone on to become a popular tourist attraction. It gained additional fame in 1977 when it played a central role in the science-fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Overview
Devils Tower is believed to have formed about fifty to sixty million years ago. It is made of a type of rock called phonolite porphyry, a substance that makes a sound when struck. Phonolite porphyry is similar to granite but contains feldspar crystals instead of quartz. While some theories suggest the tower could have been the cooled remnants of an extinct volcano, most scientists believe it formed when magma from deep within Earth welled up through surrounding sedimentary rock. The magma cooled before it reached the surface, forming a series of condensed, hexagonal rock columns. Over millions of years, the surrounding rock eroded away, leaving the tower exposed. The National Park Service website compares the formation to a "bunch of pencils held together by gravity." While individual columns have fallen from the tower, no major falls have been reported in the last two centuries.
Devils Tower is located in the northeastern corner of Wyoming near the towns of Hulett and Sundance. From base to summit, it stands 867 feet (264 meters) tall. At its base, the tower is about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) around; its summit tapers to about 180 by 300 feet (55 to 91 meters) across and is about 1,267 feet (386 meters) above the nearby Belle Fourche River. The summit is slightly domed shaped and covered with grasses, cactus, and sagebrush. Chipmunks, mice, and snakes can be found on the summit, while deer, prairie dogs, rabbits, foxes, and bobcats live in the surrounding area.
Several Native American cultures, such as the Cheyenne, Crow, Kiowa, and Lakota Sioux, consider the tower a sacred site. Many of the groups have similar origin stories for the tower in their folklore. According to Kiowa legend, seven girls were out playing one day when they were pursued by a group of giant bears. As the girls ran, they prayed to the Great Spirit to protect them. Taking pity on the girls, the Great Spirit raised the ground under their feet, lifting them out of reach of the bears. The bears clawed in vain at the tower, leaving the distinctive markings in its side. The girls were lifted into the sky, where they became the seven stars of the astronomical formation called the Pleiades.
The Lakota name for the rock column was Mato Tipila, or "Bear Lodge." Other Native American peoples called the tower "Bear's Tipi," "Home of the Bear," "Aloft on a Rock," or "Tree Rock." In 1875, a US Army colonel in charge of a scientific expedition to the region is believed to have misinterpreted the native name of the formation as "Bad God's Tower," which he modified to "Devil's Tower." The name has angered some Native Americans who claim it is disrespectful to their beliefs. According to the National Park Service, some critics contend the name was not a misinterpretation but a deliberate renaming.
As more people began to settle in the western United States in the late nineteenth century, support started to grow to designate the tower as a protected area. In 1892, a Wyoming senator petitioned Congress to proclaim the area a national park, but Congress did not act on the measure. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt used a provision in the newly passed Antiquities Act to officially declare Devils Tower the nation's first national monument. The monument was originally to be named Devil's Tower, but a clerical error left off the apostrophe and the mistake was never corrected.
Topic Today
In 1977, Devils Tower was used as the backdrop for the climactic end sequence of director Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In the film, people who have had encounters with alien spacecraft see visions of the tower and find themselves compelled to travel there. Those who arrive find the government has set up a staging area to initiate the first communication with an extraterrestrial race. The image of a large alien spacecraft hovering over Devils Tower became an iconic scene from the popular film. The tower saw a large increase in visitors after the movie's release. To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the film in 2017, park officials sponsored a special screening at the tower's base.
According to 2017 figures from the US National Park Service, about five hundred thousand people visit Devils Tower each year. The park is open twenty-four hours a day year-round, though most people visit the tower from the end of May to the beginning of September. The Belle Fourche River Campground near the monument is opened from May to October.
Devils Tower has been a popular site for mountain climbers since the 1890s. The National Park Service allows climbing at the monument year-round except during the month of June. Many Native Americans hold ceremonies at the tower during that month, and climbing is banned out of respect for their culture. An estimated five to six thousand people climb the tower each year. The tower has several hiking trails; the most popular is the Tower Trail Loop which winds for 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) around the base of the tower.
Bibliography
"Devils Tower." National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.org/media/devils-tower-geology/. Accessed 13 Jan. 2018.
"Devils Tower National Monument." Travel Wyoming, www.travelwyoming.com/national-parks-and-monuments/devils-tower. Accessed 13 Jan. 2018.
"Frequently Asked Questions." National Park Service, www.nps.gov/deto/faqs.htm. Accessed 12 Jan. 2018.
Krystek, Lee. "The Devil's Tower." Museum of Unnatural Mystery, www.unmuseum.org/devtowergeo.htm. Accessed 13 Jan. 2018.
"The Legend of Devils Tower." Indian Country Today, 6 Feb. 2017, indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/the-legend-of-devils-tower/. Accessed 13 Jan. 2018.
Ludmer, Larry H. Touring the National Parks of the Midwest. Hunter Publishing, 2009.
Rodgers, Jeanne. Standing Witness: Devils Tower National Monument, a History. National Park Service, 2009.
"The Tower: Many People, Many Stories, One Place." National Park Service, www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm. Accessed 12 Jan. 2018.