You see it from miles away. Seriously. The Great Plains just sort of give up, and suddenly there’s this massive, ribbed igneous plug punching through the horizon. Most people pull into the Devils Tower National Monument parking lot, snap a selfie, and leave. They’re missing the point. To actually feel the scale of this place, you have to get on the dirt. Hiking at Devils Tower isn’t just about looking at a big rock; it’s about the shift in air temperature when you enter the pine forest and the way the phonolite porphyry columns seem to lean over you like frozen giants.
It’s weirdly quiet here. Even when the parking lot is a madhouse in July, the trails swallow the noise.
The Tower Trail is just the beginning
Most visitors stick to the 1.3-mile paved loop around the base. It’s called the Tower Trail. It’s fine. Actually, it’s better than fine—it’s spectacular if you’ve never seen a 867-foot tall column of rock up close. You’ll see the "boulder field" where massive chunks of the tower have peeled off over the millennia. These aren't pebbles. They're the size of houses.
But here’s the thing: if you only do the paved loop, you’re basically watching a movie from the lobby.
To actually experience the geography of the Black Hills, you need to head toward the Red Beds Trail. It’s a 2.8-mile loop. It’s got some elevation gain, but nothing that’s going to kill you if you’re in decent shape. You get these wild views of the Belle Fourche River valley. The dirt turns a deep, rusty red—hence the name—because of the iron oxide in the Spearfish Formation. It’s a stark contrast to the gray-green of the tower.
Why the Joyner Ridge Trail is the local secret
If you want the "National Geographic" shot without 500 other tourists in your frame, go to Joyner Ridge. It’s on the north edge of the park. Most people don't even know the road goes back there.
It’s a 1.5-mile loop. It follows a ridgeline. From here, the tower looks isolated, lonely, and way more intimidating than it does from the visitor center. You’re looking across a deep ravine at the formation. If you go at sunset, the light hits the west face and the whole thing glows like it’s plugged into an outlet. Just watch for the prairie dogs. They have a massive town near the entrance, and they are surprisingly loud when they’re yelling at you for trespassing.
The cultural weight you’re walking on
You can't talk about hiking here without talking about what the rock actually is. To over 20 Northern Plains tribes, including the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Kiowa, this isn't "Devils Tower." That name was basically a mistranslation by Colonel Richard Irving Dodge’s expedition in 1875. To the people who have lived here for centuries, it’s Bear Lodge (Matȟó Thípila).
When you’re hiking, you’ll see colorful cloths tied to the trees.
Do not touch them. These are prayer cloths. They represent a deeply personal connection between a practitioner and the sacred site. Treat them with the same respect you’d give a cross in a cathedral or a scroll in a synagogue. Because of this spiritual significance, there’s a voluntary climbing ban every June. While it doesn’t affect hikers, it’s a good time to visit if you want to see the tower without tiny human specks crawling all over it. It feels more "wild" then.
The geology is actually weirder than the legends
Geologists still argue about how this thing formed. Is it a laccolith? A volcanic plug? A latent igneous intrusion?
Basically, about 50 million years ago, molten rock pushed up into sedimentary layers but never actually broke the surface to become a volcano. It cooled slowly underground. As it cooled, it contracted and cracked into these hexagonal columns. It’s the same physics that makes mud crack when it dries, just on a massive, geological scale. Eventually, the softer surrounding rock eroded away, leaving the hard core standing alone.
When you're on the trails, look at the columns. They aren't perfect. Some are five-sided, some are seven-sided. It's nature's geometry gone slightly off the rails.
Practical stuff nobody tells you
Wyoming weather is a liar. You’ll start a hike in 85-degree heat and be ducking hail twenty minutes later. The wind coming off the plains hits the tower and does weird things.
🔗 Read more: St. James' Court, A Taj Hotel: Why It Is Still London's Best Kept Secret
- Water is non-negotiable: The air is dry. Like, "my skin is cracking" dry. Carry more than you think.
- The Rattlesnakes are real: They like the sun-warmed rocks of the Red Beds Trail. Give them space. They don't want to meet you either.
- The Sun: You’re at over 4,000 feet of elevation. The UV hits differently here. Wear a hat.
If you’re looking for a longer day, combine the Red Beds Trail with the Joyner Ridge Trail via the Pearson Ridge extension. It’ll give you a solid 5-6 mile trek that covers almost every ecosystem in the park, from riparian forest to upland prairie. You'll see white-tailed deer, maybe a wild turkey, and if you're lucky, a golden eagle circling the summit.
The Close Encounters Factor
Yeah, they filmed the 1977 Spielberg movie here. No, there aren't any aliens. But the park does lean into the "dark skies" thing. If you can stay late or arrive before dawn, do it. The lack of light pollution in this corner of Wyoming is staggering. Hiking the Tower Trail under a full moon is a completely different experience. The rock looks like silver. The shadows are deep and ink-black. It’s haunting in the best possible way.
What to do after the hike
Once you've finished hiking at Devils Tower, don't just blast back to the interstate.
Drive into the town of Hulett. It’s tiny. It’s got that "last frontier" vibe that hasn't been totally scrubbed away by tourism yet. Get a burger. Talk to a local. Or head over to the Belle Fourche River and just sit for a second.
Most people rush through the American West like they’re checking items off a grocery list. They do Mount Rushmore, they do the Tower, they do Yellowstone. They spend more time in their cars than on their feet. Don't be that person.
The Tower demands a bit of silence. It’s been standing there for millions of years, watching the landscape change from tropical forest to frozen tundra to the high plains we see today. A two-hour hike is the least you can do to pay your respects to a piece of the earth’s bones.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the NPS Website: Before you drive out, check for trail closures. Sometimes maintenance or nesting raptors will shut down specific sections.
- Download Offline Maps: Cell service is spotty at best once you leave the main highway. Use AllTrails or Gaia GPS and download the maps for the Monument area.
- Pack "The Big Three": High-SPF sunscreen, a minimum of two liters of water per person, and a windbreaker. Even in summer, that Wyoming wind has teeth.
- Arrive Early: By 10:00 AM in the summer, the main lot is usually full. Aim for 7:00 AM to get the Tower Trail to yourself and beat the heat.