Devils Tower rises so dramatically from the landscape that it demands an explanation. For years, I thought I knew the simple version: it was a "lava plug" from an ancient volcano. The truth, as I've learned, is even more incredible.
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| The first dramatic view on the road to the monument. |
My old belief was that this was the hardened lava core inside a classic volcano cone. In fact, the formation is an igneous intrusion that cooled and solidified deep underground, possibly tens of millions of years ago. As the molten rock cooled and contracted, it fractured into the stunning hexagonal columns we see today—a process called columnar jointing. The actual volcano cone and all the surrounding softer rock have long since eroded away, leaving only this incredibly hard rock exposed. It wasn't the volcano erupting up, but the land eroding down, that created this landmark.
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| The tower looms under a heavy, dramatic sky. |
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A classic view, perfectly framed by the Ponderosa pines.
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| Its sheer scale dominates the surrounding landscape. |
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The scale model helps visualize the immense structure.
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| Looking up from the boulder field at its base. |
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A flock of birds soaring past the summit.
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| A reminder that the tower is a climber's paradise. |
Long before geologists had their say, the Indigenous people of the Northern Plains told a powerful story. They saw the deep grooves in the rock and imagined a group of children being chased by a giant bear. The children scrambled onto a small rock and prayed for help, and the rock rose into the sky, lifting them to safety. The bear clawed furiously at the growing tower, creating the very striations we see today. The children were saved, becoming the stars of the Pleiades constellation.
Wherever you are today, I hope you find the stories hidden in the landscape.
Don Bergquist – 05 October 2025 – Devils Tower, Wyoming, USA
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