Bears and Stars Rising from the Earth - Devils Tower / Bear Lodge National Monument

Rising 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River in the northeastern corner of Wyoming, Devils Tower is a geological anomaly that defies easy description. To the scientist, it is a rare igneous intrusion; to the climber, it is a premier vertical challenge; but to the Indigenous peoples of the Plains, it is Bear Lodge, a living, breathing place of prayer and the center of the universe.

The Geological Mystery

Geologists agree that Devils Tower was formed about 50 million years ago, but the exact mechanism remains a subject of debate. The most widely accepted theory is that it is an igneous intrusion: magma that is pushed up into sedimentary rock layers but cooled underground. Over millions of years, the softer sedimentary rock eroded away, leaving the hard phonolite porphyry tower exposed.

The tower’s most striking feature is its columnar jointing. As the magma cooled, it contracted, cracking into the vertical hexagonal columns we see today. These are the largest and most perfect examples of such columns in the world.

The Sacred Heart: Indigenous Creation Stories

Long before it was designated as America’s first National Monument in 1906, the tower was, and remains, sacred to over 20 different tribes, including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Arapaho. Most tribes refer to it as Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge) or Bear's Tipi.

While each tribe has its own specific traditions, the Creation Stories share a powerful theme: the tower was raised by the Great Spirit to protect children from a giant bear.

  • The Kiowa and Lakota Tradition: Seven little girls were playing in the forest when they were chased by a massive bear. They jumped onto a small rock, and the Great Spirit, seeing their plight, caused the rock to grow toward the sky. The bear, desperate to reach them, clawed at the sides of the rising mountain, creating the deep vertical furrows we see today. The girls were pushed into the sky and became the “The Seven Sisters” - the Pleiades stars.
  • The Cheyenne Tradition: In their version, the Great Spirit raised the rock to protect the wives of several hunters. One of the hunters killed the bear with a magical arrow, and the bear's spirit remained within the stone.
  • The Crow Tradition: They tell of two boys who were chased by a bear. The Great Spirit told them to close their eyes, and when they opened them, they were on top of the tower. The bear attempted to climb the rock, but his claws only left deep marks in the stone before he fell and died at the base.

For these tribes, the tower is more significant than a monument; it is a teaching stone. The deep grooves are physical evidence of the Creator’s protection. To this day, the tower is a site for Vision Quests, Sun Dances, and Sacred Pipe ceremonies. Visitors will often see colorful prayer cloths tied to the trees at the base; these are personal offerings and should never be touched or moved.

The "Devils" Name: A Historical Mistranslation

The name "Devils Tower" is actually the result of a 19th-century misunderstanding. In 1875, an expedition led by Colonel Richard Irving Dodge visited the site. Dodge’s interpreter reportedly mistranslated the Indigenous name Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge) as "Bad God’s Tower," which Dodge then shortened to "Devils Tower."

In recent years, many tribes and historical groups have petitioned to have the name officially changed back to Bear Lodge, arguing that the current name is culturally insensitive and erases the spiritual significance of the site.

Pioneers and the Great Ladder

The first recorded ascent of the tower by non-Indigenous people occurred on July 4, 1893. Two local ranchers, William Rogers and Willard Ripley, spent weeks driving wooden stakes into a vertical crack on the southeast face to create a 350-foot ladder.

The Anecdote of the "National Flag":

On Independence Day, with a crowd of nearly 1,000 spectators watching, Rogers climbed the rickety wooden ladder to the summit and unfurled a large American flag. This event turned the tower into a national sensation. Remarkably, remnants of this 1893 wooden ladder can still be seen today, wedged into the rock, serving as a reminder of the daring (and somewhat reckless) spirit of early Wyoming settlers.

The "Close Encounters" Effect

In 1977, Devils Tower entered the global pop-culture lexicon when it was featured as the landing site for the mothership in Steven Spielberg’s film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The movie’s portrayal of the tower as a cosmic beacon transformed it into a destination for UFO enthusiasts and increased annual tourism significantly. For many, the film captured the "otherworldly" feeling that the tower naturally evokes.

Traveling to the Tower Today

  • The Loop Trail: A 1.3-mile paved trail circles the base, offering a close-up view of the columns and the "boulder field" of fallen rocks.
  • Climbing: The tower is a world-class climbing destination. However, out of respect for the Indigenous cultures, the National Park Service implements a Voluntary Climbing Closure every June, during which time most climbers choose not to scale the tower while sacred ceremonies are taking place.
  • The Prairie Dog Town: Near the entrance, a massive colony of black-tailed prairie dogs provides endless entertainment for families, a reminder of the vibrant ecosystem that surrounds this stone giant.

 

Bibliography
  • National Park Service. Devils Tower: Sacred Stories and Cultural Connections. (Interpretive Guide).
  • Gunderson, Mary. Devils Tower: Stories in Stone. 2001.
  • Momaday, N. Scott. The Way to Rainy Mountain. University of New Mexico Press, 1969. (Includes Kiowa oral traditions of the Tower).
  • Stone, Richard. Geology of Wyoming’s Devils Tower. University of Wyoming Press, 1984.
  • Black Hills Pioneer. "The First Ascent: The Rogers-Ripley Ladder." July 1893 Archive.