Mato Tipila, to give it its Lakota name, became a National Monument in 1906, the very first of its kind. The dramatic butte, which rises 1,267 feet above the Plains and the Belle Fourche River, was famously featured in the 1977 Oscar winning film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Translated from Lakota as the Bear’s Lair, this extraordinary igneous pillar is the stuff of folklore. The Lakota say it was formed when a group of girls climbed on top of a rock to escape a giant bear. Calling on the Great Spirit’s help, the rock suddenly began to rise beyond the efforts of the fearsome creature to reach them, hence giving it its distinctive appearance in the hundreds of parallel cracks left by the climbing bear’s claws! To this day Matho Tipila is a sacred place of worship, ritual and contemplation for the tribes of the Plains.
Located on the northwestern edge of the Black Hills, Devils Tower Rises 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River to an altitude of 5,112 feet.
The tower measures 800 feet wide at its base diameter, and tapers up to a width of 300 feet at its top. According to geologists, this formation is a result of molten rock(magma) that cooled in the core of an ancient volcano. Eons of erosion gradually wore the layers of softer stone and materials away, exposing the igneous column. The nearly parallel vertical columns on the tower’s sides are a visible result of this dynamic geologic process.
This unusual natural formation has been a part of Northern Plains lore for centuries. The tower was a guide for travel in the region, as it could be seen for a great distance from many directions. Many Native Americans of the Northern Plains revere the tower as “wakan,” which in Lakota means a sacred or holy place. The culture and legends of at least six extant tribes(the Lakota Sioux, Crow, Kiowa, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Shoshone) contain references and attach religious significance to the area.
The most recent Native Americans to occupy the lands around Devils Tower were the Lakota Sioux; the tower’s Lakota name is Mato-Tipi – Bears’ Lodge, or dwelling place of the bears. Traditional religious observances of the various tribes still occur at the tower. The name was changed by a U.S. Army map and report in the 1860s, and the new name stuck – Devils Tower.
This regional curiosity was designated by President Theodore Roosevelt as the nation’s first National Monument in 1906. Roosevelt said in the declaration, “this lofty and isolated rock in the State of Wyoming, known as ‘Devil’s Tower,’ situated upon the public lands owned and controlled by the United States, is such an extraordinary example as to the effect of erosion in the higher mountains as to be a natural wonder and an object of great scientific interest and it appears that the public good would be promoted by reserving this tower as a National monument.”
The first recorded climb of the tower was by a pair of local ranchers in 1893. Today, thousands of climbers enjoy the column for its very unique and challenging routes. Convenient hard-surfaced roads lead to the Tower from Sundance, Moorcroft, and Belle Fourche. A variety of wildlife and scenic vistas surround the tower, plus an informative Visitors Center provides geologic, cultural and historic interpretation of this remarkable site.
Gazing up at the Tower, you see only one side at a time. Driving from the park entrance to the visitor center offers you views of the different sides. The Tower Trail and other hikes offer changing views of the Tower. Even approaching the Tower from the highway, one is offered varying viewpoints. The myriad faces of the Tower offer us many perspectives of the geologic formation. To truly see the Tower, one must observe it from all perspectives.
To understand the place called Devils Tower also requires many perspectives. Ancient peoples have lived around the Tower for thousands of years; their modern descendants still maintain a connection with this place on a physical and a spiritual level. Oral histories passed down by various American Indian tribes, as well as their present-day ceremonies, offer us important perspectives of the Tower.
The first white settlers and explorers offer us another perspective – how this land was viewed and used during the late 1800s. The Tower and surrounding area received early protection at the behest of Wyoming’s first residents and political representatives. It was used as a summer gathering place for locals, drawn to the massive rock just as humans were from antiquity.
More perspectives were added as the Tower received national recognition and protection. The National Park Service was created 10 years after its designation as the first national monument. The dual mission of protecting this place and providing recreation opportunities for the public are an ongoing challenge as people’s perspectives of the Tower continue to evolve.
Today, the perspectives of the Tower are as varied as its faces. The park service, Native Americans, rock climbers, local residents, and visitors from around the world contribute to these perspectives.