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The Devils Tower. Photo by Tim Pearce –  

Top 10 interesting facts about the Devil’s Tower

Devils Tower was the first United States National Monument. It was established in 1906 by president Theodore Roosevelt. Devils Tower is also known as Bear Lodge Butte. The name originated from an expedition led by Colonel Richard in 1875. This is when his interpreter reportedly misinterpreted the native name to mean “Bad God’s Tower”.

Devils Tower is more than four football fields tall from its base. Its made up of hexagonal columns but have a few or seven sides. Approximately more than 150 rock climbing routes have been established on the Devils Tower.

The Tower has a geologic feature that protrudes out of the prairie surrounding the Black Hills. The northern plains Indians and indigenous people consider the Tower sacred.

Lichens, sage, moss, and grass grow and cover the top of the tower. Including the chipmunks and birds living on the summit. Pine forest also covers some surrounding country. Also, there is a sizeable prairie dog town near the base of the tower.

Some of the interesting facts about the Devil Tower include as following;

1. Devil Tower  was the first National Monument in the United States

Devil Tower National Monument. Photo by Chris light – –

Devils Tower was the first National Monument.  President Theodore Roosevelt declared the Devil Tower the first National Monument in Uthe United States in 1906. It was based on cultural and historical significance. 

Devils Tower has an opportunity for wildlife viewing of animals such as pronghorn, white-tailed and mule deer, bison, and bighorn sheep. The Tower shelters several types of birds such as bald eagles, hawks, falcons, vultures, and waterfowl like geese and ducks. Devil Tower is also home to reptiles like lizards and snakes. There are venomous rattlesnakes. The most common snake that visitors encounter is the bull snake.  It is non-venomous. The snake is known to grow up to 7feet long. It is an excellent climber.

2. It is a sacred site 

Devils Tower is a Holy site for most American tribes. This is because the indigenous people used to hold sacred ceremonies and rituals in the Devil’s Tower. Up-to-date the native American tribes still hold the ceremonies in the tower-like Sundance and communal rituals.  While visiting one might spot prayer bundles and cloths tied to tree limbs around the monument.

The devil’s tower is sacred because it is believed that The Great Bear, Hu Numpa imparted the sacred language and ceremonies of healing to the Lakota shamans at Bear lodge. The tower is considered the birthplace of wisdom.

3. The Tower has a multiple hiking trails

devils tower. photo by Jeff –

Devils Tower has trails available for all types of hikers. The shortest trail is the Amphitheatre circuit, It is a 1.5-mile loop that covers the tower’s south side steep area to hike. the trails provide a view of the prairie dog town

Red beds trail which starts at the amphitheater has amazing views of the Belle Fourche River valley. The area is geologically formed. while Joyner Ridge Trail which is 5mile from Red bed. It offers a breathtaking view of the river, the tower, and the local landscapes like the prairie forests and the red rocks.

4. Devils Tower has a magmatic rock formation that came from lava 

The Tower is made of phonolite porphyry. This is an igneous rock. It was formed as magma/ lava cooled. The magma that formed Devils Tower cooled and then later condensed into columns.

Geologists agree that the Devil Tower is an igneous intrusion place where the magma from the earth’s mantle welled up between the chunks of sedimentary rock. The Tower was formed by the same force that created the rocky mountains about 65 million years ago.

5. Fritz Wiesner was the Devils Tower’s first free climber

The American – German mountaineer Fritz Wiesner was the first person in history to free-climb the Devils Tower in 1937. He climbed the Tower without using fixed equipment to scale the tower. He later pioneered the free climbing movement.

6. The Devil Tower has   several names

Long before its first name originated in 1875  from an expedition that was led by Colonel Richard. When the interpreter misinterpreted a native name that meant ” Bad God’s Tower”.  It was recognized by the American government, native tribes from’ Aloft’ to’ grizzly lodge’. The native Americans who lived in North and South Dakota called the tower different names like  Ghost mountain, Grey Horn Butte, and Mythic -owl mountain.

7. The Tower is not a volcano 

Although the majority believed and calmed that the Devil’s Tower is an old volcano. Geologists argued that the Devil Tower is an igneous intrusion. That was formed underground from the molten rock/magma. It was pushed up into sedimentary rock which became solid. later the surroundings of the sedimentary rock eroded displaying the tall, grayish core.

The expert estimates that the formation of the Devil Tower occurred approximately 50 million years ago. The result of erosion took place between 5 -and 10 million years.

8. Devils Tower is a famous rock climbing attraction

The  Tower is a popular rock climbing destination. Fritz Wiesner was the first to successfully climb the tower without any equipment. Devil Tower has an annual visitor who climbs the Tower. The majority of them use the route of Durrance route which was established in 1938. Although its site is normally closed to climbers every June. This is because the native American ceremonies are held during that period.

9. The Tower is very big and  wide 

Devils Tower National Monument by Aaron Barlow – Wikimedia Commons

The Devil Tower is made up of columns that are the tallest at 600 feet and the widest 10 -20 feet in the world. The Tower is 867 feet from the base to the summit. It normally stands 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. Devils Tower has 5112 feet above the sea level

10. Fatalities occurred in the Devils Tower

6 climbing fatalities have occurred since 1937 in the Devils Tower. Three of the fatalities occurred when descending the Tower.

It is believed that 6 girls were out picking flowers. They were attacked and chased by the bears. The girls attempted to climb the newly formed but they couldn’t get to the top of the Tower.