12 Interesting Facts on Devils Tower

What is Devils Tower? Devil Tower is an igneous rock intrusion located in Wyoming, United States. During the Triassic period (between 225 and 195 years ago) magma from an underground volcano cooled within the earth’s crust and a huge rock was formed. In 1906 Devil Tower was announced as the first United States National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt. This tower is situated in the Bear Lodge Mountains and is also part of the Black Hills. Devil Tower is sacred to Native American tribes.

Devils Tower stands 386m (1267ft) above the Belle Fourche River and 867 feet in height from its base to the summit. The tower is the best spot for rock climbers.

In 1875, it was a misinterpretation by Colonel Richard Irving Dodge’s interpreter during an expedition that led to the term Bad God’s Tower and finally converted as Devils Tower.

Amazing Wyoming Devils Tower Facts

1. President Roosevelt made an honest mistake where Devils Tower is named without apostrophe while signing official documents announcing it a national monument. The mistake was never corrected.
2. The tower was first climbed by local resident William Rogers in 1893.
3. The first people who visited the monument were William Rogers and Willard Ripley.
4. The base of Devils Tower is more than four football fields tall.
5. To climb the Devils Tower, no guide is required. All rock climbers should register at the ranger station before climbing the tower and after attempting to climb the tower.
6. Devils Tower is open 24/7, except for these two days including Christmas Day and New Years Day.
7. Every June, the voluntary June closure was introduced for climbers because of its cultural significance.
8. Almost 150 rock climbing routes have been created on Devils Tower.
9. Devils Tower is known by multiple ancient names. For example, the Lakota people refer to it as “Bear Lodge,” “Bear Lodge Butte,” “Grizzly Bear’s Lodge,” “Mythic-owl Mountain,” “Grey Horn Butte,” and “Ghost Mountain,” the Arapahoe call Devils Tower “Bear’s Tipi,” the Kiowa refer to it as “Aloft on a Rock” or “Tree Rock.” But, it’s commonly known as “Mateo Tepee.”
10. Recently, native tribes have requested to officially change the name of Devils Tower to Bear Lodge, as they find the current name offensive. In the meantime, other local people argue that changing the name can confuse regional tourism.
11. The rocks that formed Devil Tower continue to erode and pieces of the rockfall away from the monument. Pieces can be seen along its base.
12. The average climber takes between 4-6 hours to reach the summit of Devils Tower. Though the unofficial climbing record is around 18 minutes that was completed by Todd Skinner in the 1980s