In Italian
Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, what to see and what to do: history, trails and native legends about the “Bear Lodge”. Sacred place for Cheyenne, Crow, Kiowa and Lakota. Useful information to match the visit of the nearby Vore Buffalo Jump.
Devils Tower, what to see and what to do: history, trails and legends from the Bear Lodge to the Vore Buffalo Jump
“Eight children were there at play, seven sisters and their brother. Suddenly the boy was stuck dumb; he trembled and began to run upon his hands and feet. His fingers became claws, and his body was covered with fur. Directly there was a bear where the boy had been. The sisters were terrified; they ran, and the bear after them. They came to the stump of a great tree, and the tree spoke to them. It bade them to climb upon it, and as they did so it began to rise into the air. The bear came to kill them, but they were just beyond its reach. It reared against the tree and scored the bark all around with its claws. The seven sisters were borne into the sky, and they became the stars of the Big Dipper.”
(From the stories of the Kiowa Natives)
Devils Tower: history, trails and legends from the Bear Lodge to the Vore Buffalo Jump
The ancestral stories of Cheyenne, Crow, Kiowa – who called it “Stone Tree” – and Lakota narrated of some girls chased by a great bear and of the Great Spirit who, to protect them, had given birth from the earth under their feet a huge stone tower. That the bear while leaving numerous furrows of his scratches on it in an attempt to reach the top, could not climb. It is then said that these girls, once rescued, reached the sky to turn into stars, according to some the Pleiades.
The Arapahos, on the other hand, told about a girl bear who slipped from a high slope and scratched a large rocky protuberance, thus creating the Bear Lodge.
These are the stories related to the Tower of the Great Bear, that at the end of 1800s, due to a translation error, became the Tower of the Evil Spirit, so Devils Tower.
Devils Tower, what to see and what to do: history, trails and legends from the Bear Lodge to the Vore Buffalo Jump
Many oral stories, complex and suggestive, handed down from father to son. To keep alive the memory and respect for one of the holiest places in Wyoming for the Native local tribes. Communities that still today here perform sacred rites and badly tolerate the presence of the numerous climbers, who are still allowed access today. Specifically, from May to September except for June, when the local tribes perform some important religious celebrations.
A site so mystical and fascinating in its mixture of nature and spirit to be protected over centuries. So, President Theodore Roosevelt turned it into the first USA National Monument in 1906.
Yeah, for movie-lovers, that was the background that Steven Spielberg used for some cult scenes of the 1977 movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”.
Take a look at the video below to learn more about the location and how the sets were set up.
“Many people, many stories, one place”
(Devils Tower National Monument – US National Park Service)
Devils Tower, Bear Lodge for the natives, is a basaltic monolith dating back to 60 million years ago by pushing the magma column from underground through sedimentary rocks above. The erosion has caused the exterior of this geological formation to fracture into several columns over the millennia. Until we get the unique shape that we can all admire today.
This impressive “stone tower” is 386 meters high compared to the surrounding decking. And it has a total altitude of 1559 meters above sea level.
Devils Tower is located in northeastern Wyoming, near the border with South Dakota, and can only be reached via Hwy 24.
The surrounding park is usually accessible all over the year. The Visitor Center and the information center are open from Spring to Fall, from early morning to early afternoon. Admittance to the park – for a fee – is included in the America the Beautiful Pass. Otherwise, it cost 15$ each, 20$ per motorbike and 25$ per car (max 4 people). More information here.
Devils Tower, what to see and what to do
Once inside, stop and admire the Prairie Dog Town on the right. Here you will see the cute prairie dogs going in and out from their many dug in the ground.
Afterwards, head to the picnic area to enjoy the view from the Circle of Sacred Smoke Sculpture.
It is the sculpture by the Japanese artist Junkyu Muto, in which it is represented, stylized, a puff of the calumet of peace, whose inner void perfectly frames the Devils Tower. A sign of respect towards the native cultures devoted to this place.
Devils Tower, what to see and what to do
Finally, reach the base of Bear Lodge through the Devils Tower National Monument Road: here you will find the main parking lot, the Visitor Center with the information center and the access to the two main trails.
The Tower Trail – the most popular one – runs in about 2km (a trail fit for everyone) the complete tour of the tower’s perimeter, offering extremely suggestive views on the monolith and on the surrounding valley. The Red Beds Trail is a trail that always follows the circumference of the monument only longer, almost 5km in total, and slightly more challenging.
Always remember that you are in a sacred place for many Native tribes. So, if you will come across colored fabric ribbons tied to the trees and the plants along the trail, know that it is a particular spiritual rite of these cultures related to the Bear Lodge. So, you don’t have to touch them, or worse, untie them.
Devils Tower, what to see and what to do: history, trails and legends, from the Bear Lodge to the Vore Buffalo Jump
You have the chance, especially if you decide to stay overnight near the National Monument – for me absolutely recommended choice, to take into consideration in this case the Devils Tower Lodge – to enter the park even during the night to admire the stunning starry sky of these remote corner of Wyoming, that here, thanks to the total absence of light pollution, gives its best in terms of light and brilliance.
About it, if you are interested, I invite you to check the program of the Night Sky Viewing.
“As darkness falls on Devils Tower, a different kind of light illuminates the night sky. That light comes from objects in deep space and transforms the night from a place of darkness into a place of wonder. The night sky inspires human lives too. Oral histories about the Tower incorporate tribal star knowledge. Astronomers and night sky photographers seek out the darkness of parks like Devils Tower National Monument, islands of night in an ever-brighter world. What inspiration can you find as you enjoy the darker side of the first national monument?”
(Night Sky Viewing – National Park Service)
The night sky of the Devils Tower with the Milk Way: photo credits Devin Cherry per NPS
About a half-hour drive from Devils Tower, towards the South Dakota border, you can visit an authentic Buffalo Jump.
I mean an ancient site – a dolina to be precise – used from the 16th to the 19th century by Kiowa, Apache, Shoshone, Hidatsa, Crow and Cheyenne for the traditional hunt in Buffalo. Long before the hunting with arrows, the bison were channeled into their race and pushed to fall in a sort of crater, only to be finished and worked.
Vore Buffalo Jump
The archeological site in question is the Vore Buffalo Jump, strategically located between the Great Northern Plains and the Black Hills. And it includes a small and interesting museum related to the socio-cultural evolution over the centuries (thanks to the study of the bison bones in the site) of the Native tribes that lived in this area. During the guided tour you will also reach the bottom of the original dolina and visit the large excavation area still active.
It is estimated, based on the number of bones recovered, that here in about 300 hundred years from 1500 to 1800, more than 20,000 bison were hunted.
The guided tour lasts one hour. The place is easily accessible and open every day, except Labor Day, from June 1st to mid-September, from 8am to 6pm. Always better to check dates and time of guided tours on the official website.
The Vore Buffalo Jump archeological site
The Vore Buffalo Jump archeological site
The Vore Buffalo Jump archeological site
Nearby – about 4 km – you will also find the Northeast Wyoming Welcome Center.
This is Wyoming Visitor Center, where you will get maps, brochures and useful information about the trails and the experiences across the state. The facility also offers the visitors some small exhibitions about the history of the land, as well as coffee, water and public toilets free and accessible to everyone.
Outside there are tables and benches for picnics, the perfect solution for a relaxing break before getting back on the road.
For further information about the time of your tour, please visit the official website of the Devils Tower National Monument. Besides the always updated Tavel Wyoming and The Great American West.
Experience and article written in collaboration with Travel Wyoming and The Great American West.
Traveling to the United States
