Devil’s Tower in Wyoming,  America’s first national monument, is quite a curiosity.  The 867-foot high monolith was formed by magma which cooled underground and crystallized, like mud that dries, forming hexagonal columns separated by vertical cracks.  There is a 1.3 miles paved trail through the piles of rubble, broken columns, boulders, small rocks, and stones, that lie at the base of the Tower.

Devil’s Tower, Wyoming

Walking Trail at Devil’s Tower

American Indians use the tower as a place of worship.  This “Circle of Smoke” represents the first puff of smoke from the pipe used by tribal people to pray.

Circle of Sacred Smoke, by Junkyu Muto

Prairie Dog Town near the monument is around 40 acres in size and is a popular stop for tourists to see the little critters scurrying about.

Prairie Dog Town

Hello There!

We hiked around the tower as well as a few other trails in the area and saw several deer and some beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding area.

White Tail Deer

There was no Internet or cell phone service in the park, so I am behind on the blog.  But now we have moved to Rapid City, South Dakota, and we have full services again.

Mount Rushmore is next.  Minnesota is getting closer!