The Devil's Tower, a sacred monument, rises 386 m (1267 ft) above the Belle Fourche River and presents the largest example of a columnar junction in the world. The Tower, a sacred place for more than 20 Native American tribes, is also known as Bear Lodge. The Devil's Tower towers over surrounding grasslands and ponderosa pine forests like a rocky sentinel. Geologists have studied formation since the late 19th century, and today it is still they ask how it was formed.
Although much of the Tower's geological history is in agreement, theories differ on certain details. Protected in 1906 for its scientific value, Devils Tower remains a place of scientific study and public wonder. We know that the Tower is formed by a rare igneous rock, a porphyry phonolite, and is the largest example of a columnar union in the world. To better understand the processes that shaped the Tower, we review the history of the Earth, long before this unique feature took shape.
Devils Tower rises 867 feet from its base and is about 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. The 1.3-mile Tower Trail surrounds the base of Devils Tower and offers up close views of the tower that make your neck shiver. Simply put, the tower is huge, and this relatively flat and easy walk is a great way to appreciate the immensity of the tower. With a height of 1,267 meters above the Belle Fourche River, Devils Tower has long been a beacon that attracts people and captures their imagination since prehistoric times.
Today, it still means a lot to people like American Indians, local ranchers, climbers, and thousands of visitors. If you're looking for things to do near Rapid City, Devils Tower offers a captivating experience worth exploring. While you can see Devils Tower from quite a distance for free, it's worth paying to enter the park to see this natural wonder up close. In 1907, scientists Darton and O'Hara decided that Devils Tower must be an eroded remnant of a laccolyte.
Geologists Carpenter and Russell studied the Devil's Tower at the end of the 19th century and came to the conclusion that it was formed by an igneous intrusion. While some aspects of the Devil's Tower legend are used in other variants, other tribes include different details. The Devil's Tower National Monument was the first national monument in the United States, established on September 24, 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. During the month of June, dozens of tribes from the Northern Plains arrive at Devils Tower to celebrate ceremonies.
From rock climbing and hiking to capturing the area's diverse array of wildlife with a little photography, Devils Tower offers adventure and enrichment for travelers of all types. Most of the Native American tribes that lived near Devils Tower National Monument or Bear Lodge, as it is better known among tribes, have individual oral stories about the tower's creation. O'Harra (from the South Dakota School of Mines) theorized that the Devil's Tower must be an eroded remnant of a laccolyte. However, if you decide to explore the area, be sure to mark it on the map.
Devils Tower is a must-see destination for your vacation in the Rapid City area. Soaring hundreds of feet into the air and extending up to 10 feet wide, the columns of Devils Tower are truly spectacular. As rain and snow continue to erode the sedimentary rocks surrounding the base of the Tower and the Belle Fourche River carries away the debris, more parts of Devils Tower will be exposed. Geologists agree that Devils Tower began as magma, or molten rock buried under the Earth's surface.
President Teddy Roosevelt quickly invoked the new statute and that same year he designated the Devil's Tower as the country's first national monument...
