Devils Tower is more than I anticipated. The Tower has a way of stirring something inside you that until you experience it you can’t fully comprehend the majesty.
This morning Jamie and I saddled-up the bicycles and peddled the three-mile stretch between the park entrance and the visitor’s center.
It’s a moderate ride in and quite literally it’s uphill the entire time. However, I found it was rather enjoyable. On our ride we spotted deer, turkey, and even got a up-close look at Devils Tower most famous species – the black-tailed prairie dog.
My goodness, as soon as we entered the park we were greeted by 1,000 plus of these little guys. On the map the area is called “Prairie Dog Town.” I tell you, the Prairie Dog President must have been in town today because all the dogs were out.
The real treat was watching a turkey strut for fifteen minutes as he tried to impress a nearby hen. We ended up leaving the bikes in the ditch, walking in the forest a bit, and taking a seat on a fallen tree in order to enjoy the show. The gobbler would sound a few notes, fan its feathers and strut around until the lady had no choice but to notice him. It reminded me of some of my cowboy friends from my early rodeo days.
Well we made the 1400 ft incline and couldn’t believe how massive the tower appeared. From afar, Devils Tower looked big but standing right under it, that emotional stirring really starts to happen. The rock tower doesn’t fit into its surroundings. It’s not like there are several smaller rock towers and then the grand tower. Devils Tower erupts from rolling hills and looms over trees that are a part of the Black Hills National Forest.
There are at least three scientific theories regarding the origin of the tower and at least three more legends. You can read all about those theories as you walk along the Tower Trail. I prefer to side with the Native American’s tale. Legend has it (and I paraphrase) that seven young girls were playing on a small boulder in the distance from the tribe’s camp and a big grizzly bear spotted them. The young girls, scared for their lives, began to pray that the rock would save them. The Great Spirit answered their prayers and the boulder grew and grew, taking the young girls into the sky where they remain today as a group of seven small stars - The Pleiades.
The only question now is how did the tower ridges form? Continuing with the legend, the ridges are the result of that big grizzly scratching and clawing his way toward the young girls to no avail.
It is easy to make a full day inside the park’s perimeter. We only scheduled a half-day before we were off in search of the Vore Buffalo Jump.
In route we came across Aladdin, WY - population 15. Throw a one on the front of the population and you get the age of the town general store (mercantile), which at 115 years old is still open. East of Aladdin, we found what we had been searching. During the construction of I-90, the Vore Buffalo Jump was discovered. Turns out, this is a natural sinkhole providing an exceptional means for the Native Americans to harvest buffalo in numbers hard to comprehend. Ranging from the 1500s to the 1800s at least five native tribes used this sinkhole to trap and then harvest buffalo.
Although limited digs have taken place, bones of an estimated 20,000 buffalo have been found buried and perfectly preserved along with countless Native American artifacts. Despite being directly off of I-90, I would guess not even 1% of the passersby stop to experience Vore Buffalo Jump.
Well it’s suppertime at the KOA and I need to get going. We arrived back just in time to fire up the grill, help start the community campfire, and set up for the nightly showing of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” - a movie shot right here where I’m sitting now! No wonder Devils Tower KOA has earned three consecutive KOA Presidential Awards. They have free WiFi, campfires, movies, playgrounds, and a priceless view of Devils Tower. What else could a tourist ask for?
Forever West,
Jeremy
This morning Jamie and I saddled-up the bicycles and peddled the three-mile stretch between the park entrance and the visitor’s center.
It’s a moderate ride in and quite literally it’s uphill the entire time. However, I found it was rather enjoyable. On our ride we spotted deer, turkey, and even got a up-close look at Devils Tower most famous species – the black-tailed prairie dog.
My goodness, as soon as we entered the park we were greeted by 1,000 plus of these little guys. On the map the area is called “Prairie Dog Town.” I tell you, the Prairie Dog President must have been in town today because all the dogs were out.
The real treat was watching a turkey strut for fifteen minutes as he tried to impress a nearby hen. We ended up leaving the bikes in the ditch, walking in the forest a bit, and taking a seat on a fallen tree in order to enjoy the show. The gobbler would sound a few notes, fan its feathers and strut around until the lady had no choice but to notice him. It reminded me of some of my cowboy friends from my early rodeo days.
Well we made the 1400 ft incline and couldn’t believe how massive the tower appeared. From afar, Devils Tower looked big but standing right under it, that emotional stirring really starts to happen. The rock tower doesn’t fit into its surroundings. It’s not like there are several smaller rock towers and then the grand tower. Devils Tower erupts from rolling hills and looms over trees that are a part of the Black Hills National Forest.
There are at least three scientific theories regarding the origin of the tower and at least three more legends. You can read all about those theories as you walk along the Tower Trail. I prefer to side with the Native American’s tale. Legend has it (and I paraphrase) that seven young girls were playing on a small boulder in the distance from the tribe’s camp and a big grizzly bear spotted them. The young girls, scared for their lives, began to pray that the rock would save them. The Great Spirit answered their prayers and the boulder grew and grew, taking the young girls into the sky where they remain today as a group of seven small stars - The Pleiades.
The only question now is how did the tower ridges form? Continuing with the legend, the ridges are the result of that big grizzly scratching and clawing his way toward the young girls to no avail.
It is easy to make a full day inside the park’s perimeter. We only scheduled a half-day before we were off in search of the Vore Buffalo Jump.
In route we came across Aladdin, WY - population 15. Throw a one on the front of the population and you get the age of the town general store (mercantile), which at 115 years old is still open. East of Aladdin, we found what we had been searching. During the construction of I-90, the Vore Buffalo Jump was discovered. Turns out, this is a natural sinkhole providing an exceptional means for the Native Americans to harvest buffalo in numbers hard to comprehend. Ranging from the 1500s to the 1800s at least five native tribes used this sinkhole to trap and then harvest buffalo.Although limited digs have taken place, bones of an estimated 20,000 buffalo have been found buried and perfectly preserved along with countless Native American artifacts. Despite being directly off of I-90, I would guess not even 1% of the passersby stop to experience Vore Buffalo Jump.
Well it’s suppertime at the KOA and I need to get going. We arrived back just in time to fire up the grill, help start the community campfire, and set up for the nightly showing of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” - a movie shot right here where I’m sitting now! No wonder Devils Tower KOA has earned three consecutive KOA Presidential Awards. They have free WiFi, campfires, movies, playgrounds, and a priceless view of Devils Tower. What else could a tourist ask for?
Forever West,
Jeremy
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