What to bring?
Stroller?
Possible but not recommended
Restrooms
Located in Visitors Center and most parking lots
Staying in Hulett, Wyoming, we were only 10 minutes away from the entrance to Devils Tower National Park, allowing us to get an early start to the day, beating both the heat and the crowds. Expect to stay 2-3 hours here. Also note that at noon when we left, the line was miles long to get into the park! The entrance fee is $25 per vehicle but is also included with the America The Beautiful Pass.
As you drive in, you pass a large Prairie Dog Town on your left! It was fun to pull over and check out all of the Praire dogs running, squeaking, and poking their heads out of the huge mounds. My daughter instantly said after spotting them, “those are freaky mouses!” So now prairie dogs have a new nickname at our house!
We continued on to the major attraction, the Rim Trail that runs along the base on Devil’s Tower. The trail is 1.3 miles all the way around and takes about 1 hour. When you begin, you will notice cloths tied to the trees throughout the hike. Devil’s Tower is very sacred to many Native American tribes and the cloths are a symbol of prayers so it’s important to respect them by not touching them. The trail is fairly easy and offers some beautiful views of the tower. Be sure to keep your eyes out for wildlife! We walked upon a few deer that were extremely close. Also, watch for the climbers who are bravely climbing the vertical columns. They look like ants from the trail but many were watching through their binoculars, so I’d strongly suggest bringing them if you have them. We enjoyed talking to the Park Ranger climbers who have made the climb regularly to assist with both search and rescue and the biologists and geologists who study the summit.
After the trail, we took the gravel road towards the Joiner Ridge Trail just a few yards to a parking lot with my husband’s self proclaimed best picture spot. (after taking about 100 previous pictures from other places..ha!)
After snapping a quick picture, we went to park at the picnic area at the beginning of the Valley View Trailhead. Right as we parked, there was a sculpture where you could get a cool picture with the tower framed by the sculpture. Then we took the Valley View trail out about 100 yards into the Prairie Dog Town to get up close and personal with the prairie dogs before turning back around. We then ate a picnic lunch at the picnic tables before heading out of the park.
Immediately after exiting the park, there was a fun Trading Post where you could visit for nice bathrooms and a gift shop!
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