Hi there!
Devils Tower is known for its iconic rock formation.
When you have neared Devils Tower, you can’t miss it! It’s THERE!
Although not an official national park in Wyoming, Devils Tower National Monument is a national park site in Wyoming, managed by the National Park Service.
It can be reasonable for people to visit Devils Tower as a day trip from South Dakota, from places like Spearfish Canyon, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, and Rapid City SD.
It is also common for people to visit Devils Tower on their way to Yellowstone or on their way to Mount Rushmore… depending on which direction you’re going.
It’s very reasonable to stop by Devils Tower if you’re driving from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone for example.
You can drive from Mount Rushmore to Devils Tower, and then onwards to Yellowstone National Park! (You may also go the route of driving to Grand Teton National Park first, making it a drive from Devils Tower to Grand Teton.)
You can drive directly from Devils Tower to Yellowstone in one day… or you can take your time and spend several days getting there!
I spent 7 days in Wyoming, going from Devils Tower to Yellowstone.
So similarly, you can make it a quick visit to Devils Tower… or you can spend all day (and night!) in Devils Tower National Monument.
I spent close to 24 hours in Devils Tower National Monument.
I was at Devils Tower in September, which can be a good time to go.
With one full day in Devils Tower, you can basically do everything on the ground. (On the ground, because it’s also a thing to go rock climbing up Devils Tower… and I did not do that. 😜)
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1. Driving through Devils Tower
After you have officially entered Devils Tower National Monument park, you will continue to drive with Devils Tower getting closer and closer!
All you have to do is just follow the main road.
2. Tower Trail
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/end side note
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Now it’s time to really get up close to Devils Tower!
Tower Trail is the trail you’ll want to do to get as close as possible to Devils Tower.
This is near the Devils Tower visitor center.
The Tower Trail is a loop around Devils Tower.
If you want to truly be quick and not hike the whole 1.3 mile paved trail, then you will want to start off the loop going LEFT when you are starting from the visitor center. (There is a spot once you start the trail that there are seemingly 2 ways to go, straight and to the left.)
Then soon you will see the massive Devils Tower in front of you.
If you do make time for walking the entire Tower Trail, then it will give you different angles of Devils Tower.
Also, people watching (climber watching!) is a thing on Tower Trail.
If you look up carefully at Devils Tower, you might see some people climbing up!
And if you do a bit of people watching, you’ll end up out on the trail for longer! And maybe bring binoculars!
Since it’s an easy paved trail that’s less than 1.5 miles, you can walk around Devils Tower in around 30 minutes or less. But, because you’ll likely want to stop and take in the views, it can be good to plan for 1 hour to walk around Devils Tower!
If you want to make it an even quicker trip to Devils Tower without stepping foot onto Tower Trail, then you can just go to the trailhead parking lot of the Tower Trail. That’s the Devils Tower Visitor Center parking lot. You can see Devils Tower looking quite big from the parking lot even before you start walking on the Tower Trail.
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3. Joyner Ridge trailhead
The Joyner Ridge Trail is a hike you can do.
But when you’re making it a quick visit to Devils Tower, hiking it is not the reason to go to the Joyner Ridge trailhead.
You are going for more iconic views of Devils Tower from the parking lot where the Joyner Ridge Trail starts!
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And those are some quick things to do in Devils Tower when you want to be in and out while still feeling like you’ve really seen Devils Tower!
And then also…
Prairie dog town in Devils Tower
👆 Prairie dog town in the front, Devils Tower in the back! You have a chance to see prairie dogs when you visit Devils Tower National Monument!
As you are driving through Devils Tower, you will also pass by a prairie dog town!
This is located along the side of the road of the main road that goes through Devils Tower.
All you need to do is look out for it, and it will be obvious. You will look for an area of land with tons of mounds of dirt and holes.
Your other indication will be the chirping of the prairie dogs. Keep the windows of your car rolled down so you can hear them!
There is a spot that you can pull over your car and get out of the car for a closer look.
There’s also a trail that loops around one side of the prairie dog town.
Devils Tower at night: Camping in Devils Tower National Monument
If you are making it a camping trip in Wyoming, then you can go camping in Devils Tower National Monument!
It’s possible to get a campsite with views of Devils Tower!
As of 2021, the Devils Tower campground is a first-come first-serve campground, and it was not possible to make reservations.
Staying overnight in Devils Tower also means that you might be able to see some rock climbers lighting up Devils Tower!
You can also do a bit of star gazing of the night sky.
The night I was there, it was a clear sky, and you could see one of the dippers directly above Devils Tower! (If you look really closely you can see it in the picture above! Picture taken with phone. 😜)
See more about this Devils Tower activity: The Devils Tower campground
Can you go to the top of Devils Tower?
For the average person, no, you can’t go to the top of Devils Tower.
There is no road that leads to the top of Devils Tower. So you can’t drive to the top of Devils Tower.
There is no hiking trail that leads to the top of Devils Tower. So you can’t hike to the top of Devils Tower.
But still, it is possible to get there by foot… and hands!
If you’re a rock climber, then yes, it is possible to go to the top of Devils Tower!
According to the National Park Service:
Hundreds of parallel cracks divide Devils Tower into large hexagonal columns.
These features make it one of the finest traditional crack climbing areas in North America.
See details about climbing to the top of Devils Tower: National Park Service Devils Tower climbing information
Cost to visit Devils Tower National Monument
In 2021, the cost of a Devils Tower National Monument 7-day pass was $25 per car. There is no one-day pass. See current fees.
👆 Devils Tower National Monument requires an entry fee.
Generally speaking, If you will be visiting 3 national parks within a year, then it will be worth it to get the annual national park pass. If you will be visiting the Wyoming national park sites of Devils Tower, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton, then the annual pass will be worth it!
As long as the Devils Tower National Monument entry booth is staffed, you can buy this when you arrive at Devils Tower.
And that’s a little bit about a trip to Devils Tower!
Next up, heading west: how about staying in a Wyoming national forest cabin?!
You will drive through Bighorn National Forest where you can also find hiking in Wyoming with amazing views.
See more about a 7 day drive across Wyoming:
Or, if next up you’re heading east: Best places to visit in South Dakota with VIEWS!
Also see about camping in South Dakota.
HAPPY DRIVING TO DEVILS TOWER!
