Devil’s Tower
On our family road trip across the northern states, our westernmost destination was Devil’s Tower.
Rising suddenly from the rolling prairie of northeastern Wyoming. The massive stone monolith looked unreal as we approached. This monument stands alone and detached from the surrounding hills.
We circled the base watching climbers inch their way up the vertical columns. This place holds deep spiritual meaning for many Native nations including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Crow and Arapaho. Many tribes refer to the formation as Bear Lodge and traditional stories continue to center around the site today.
Devils Tower was designated the first National Monument in the United States in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt, under the newly passed Antiquities Act. This was a milestone moment in America’s conservation story.
From a geological standpoint, this formation is cooled magma later exposed by erosion, leaving behind the towering vertical columns that give the monument its distinctive appearance. Devils Tower plays a role in Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), where it became a mysterious meeting place between humans and extraterrestrials
Visiting Devils Tower combined a day of wonder, geology and spiritual significance.
Read More From Nancy
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
One of the most fascinating units of the National Park System is the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in western South Dakota. Established by Congress in 1999 and opened to the public in stages during the following decade, the site preserves the history of the Cold War, nuclear deterrence, and one of the most significant […]
Grand Teton National Park
We chose to stay in the lodge within the Grand Teton National Park to be present for the light throughout the day. In the Tetons, the light brushes the snow-capped peaks with soft pinks and golds in the morning with blue and silvers in the evening. There is no way I could choose which national park […]
Hovenweep National Monument
The stone towers and walls of Hovenweep National Monument rise from the desert landscape. This monument is located in the remote Four Corners region along the border of Colorado and Utah. Hovenweep feels isolated even by Southwestern standards. Reaching this monument required traveling long stretches of quiet desert roads. The name Hovenweep comes from a Ute/Paiute word translated as “deserted […]
