🗻 Devils Tower
United States
About This Sacred Site
Devils Tower (known as Bear Lodge or Mato Tipila to the Lakota) is an extraordinary geological formation that rises 867 feet above the Belle Fourche River in northeastern Wyoming. Sacred to over 20 Native American tribes including the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Kiowa, each tribe has its own creation story for the tower — most involving a great bear clawing the sides as children escape to the sky. Prayer bundles and offerings are regularly left at the base, and Native ceremonies are conducted throughout the year. It was the first United States National Monument, designated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. A voluntary climbing ban during June respects Native ceremonies.
Key Facts
- •Sacred to over 20 Native American tribes, each with unique creation stories
- •First United States National Monument, designated in 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt
- •Rises 867 feet (264 meters) above the surrounding terrain
- •A voluntary climbing ban in June respects Native American ceremonial practices
- •Featured in the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Location
Coordinates: 44.5902, -104.7147
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