That Time Devils Tower Made Us Eat Our Words
Let’s be honest: driving across Wyoming isn’t exactly the most thrilling experience. Unless you're deeply moved by endless stretches of sagebrush and the occasional cow, the road can feel like one long, meditative yawn. Somewhere around hour three, we may have started whining a little. Okay, a lot.
What we saw on the road to the Rangers Station at Devils Tower
But then—we crested a hill, and everything changed.
Out of the hazy horizon rose Devils Tower, standing tall and alone like some ancient sentinel. It was striking, surreal, and completely worth every last mile of “are we there yet?” complaining. The hours of open road? Instantly forgiven. This massive monolith commands the landscape like it knows exactly how photogenic it is.
Located in northeastern Wyoming, near the tiny town of Hulett and not far from Sundance, Devils Tower sits proudly in its own national monument along the Belle Fourche River. It’s easy to find off Wyoming Highway 24—but nothing quite prepares you for the moment you see it.
We parked, grabbed our cameras and hiking shoes, and set off on the Tower Trail, a 1.3-mile loop that hugs the base of the formation. Every step offered a new perspective. From one angle, it looked like it had been chiseled by gods. From another, like a cathedral of ancient stone. We kept saying, “Okay, this is the shot,” only to walk twenty feet and find another one.
We spotted climbers scoping routes, their tiny silhouettes creeping up the sheer rock face like ants with ambition. It was mesmerizing—and also made our hike feel extremely chill by comparison.
Of course, in true Wandertogs fashion, we couldn’t resist asking a ranger the obvious question:
“So, like... what about aliens?”
We saw an alien…
The ranger smirked. Not even a pause.
“Nope. Just lava. Cooled underground. Erosion did the rest.”
Then they launched into a detailed geology lesson like they’d been waiting all day for someone to ask.
We listened, nodded, and smirked right back—because you know they’ve seen something. 👽
By the end of our visit, we’d taken more photos than we knew what to do with and found ourselves genuinely moved by this weird, wonderful piece of Earth. It's one of those places that makes you feel small in the best way.
So, if you're debating the detour or dreading the drive: go anyway. Let the landscape lull you into boredom, and then let Devils Tower snap you out of it like a scene from a sci-fi movie. Totally worth it.
