Devils Tower - America’s Most Dangerous Place? Devils Tower, the first U.S. national monument, established in 1906 in northeastern Wyoming, near the Belle Fourche River. It encompasses 2.1 square miles (5.4 square km) and features a natural rock tower, the remnant of a volcanic intrusion now exposed by erosion. #shorts #monument #naturalbeauty #naturalphenomenon #naturelovers #wonderfulplaces #touristattraction #touristguide #bestplaces #usatop10 #mindblowing #travel #placetovisit #usavisit The name Devil's Tower originated in 1875 during an expedition led by Colonel Richard Irving Dodge, when his interpreter reportedly misinterpreted a native name to mean "Bad God's Tower". Geologists agree that Devils Tower began as magma, or molten rock buried beneath the Earth's surface. The story behind Devils Tower is, In the Arapaho legend, a young girl is transformed into a bear and injures her sister while chasing her siblings. When her sister does not recover, “Bear-Girl” climbs to the top of Devils Tower, abandoning her family to keep them safe. What is Devils Tower most known for? From its base, Devils Tower is more than four football fields tall. The tower is made up of mostly hexagonal columns, but some have as few as four or as many as seven sides. Devils Tower was the first National Monument in the United States - declared as such in 1906 by President Teddy Roosevelt. What is on the top of Devils Tower? But what's on top? Permo-Triassic redbeds of the Spearfish Formation. Courtesy ArcGIS Online. The broad rolling summit of Devils Tower is covered in rocks, grass, cactus, wildflowers, and surprisingly, sagebrush -- specifically Wyoming big sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata ssp. Why is Devils Tower sacred? The Great Bear, Hu Numpa, imparted the sacred language and ceremonies of healing to Lakota shamans at Bear Lodge. In this way, Devils Tower is considered the birthplace of wisdom. "White Bull told of 'honor men' among the people who went up close to Devils Tower for four-day periods, fasting and praying. Why is it called Devils Tower? After Newton's group returned, Dodge wrote that "the Indians call this place 'bad god's tower,' a name adopted with proper modification..." And so the label "Devil's Tower" was created. No other records indicate that Native Americans associated this place with bad gods or evil spirits. Is Devils Tower worth visiting? Devil's Tower is one of those places you see on TV or the movies, and you always wish you could see it in person. It has great views, with trails encircling the monument. There is an easier trail and a longer one for the more adventurous. You can climb with a perrmit obtained ahead of time. Is the Devils Tower a volcano? Current research supports the conclusion that Devil's Tower was not a volcano, but was injected between sedimentary rock layers and cooled underground. The characteristic furrowed columns are the result of contraction which occurred during the cooling of the magma.