My approach to Devils Tower was slowed by hordes of the same bikers I had previously encountered
in the Blackhills and Badlands. In addition to
the Sturgis, SD motorcycle Rally, there was a competing motorcycle rally taking place just
on the Wyoming side of the South Dakota/Wyoming border. It took me nearly an hour to drive the final
few miles to the monument.
Most people recognize Devils Tower from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but in person, it is
truly something to behold. It is easy to understand why it is considered a sacred place by
Native Americans. As your distance or perpestive from this amazing formation changes, the monument
takes on a different personality. From a distance, you notice the striking contrast of the tower
jutting into the air from an otherwise flat horizon. Once you get close, you start to notice the
pillars and vertical ridges that run up the sides of the monument.
Indian legend has it that a giant bear was chasing a group of Indian children. The children climbed
a large tree to escape the bear. Devils Tower is what is left of that tree, it's ridges are the marks
the bears claws made trying to climb the tree and get the children.
Even though I was thwarted at every turn by thousands of bikers, I still managed to cover a lot of
territory in South Dakota and Wyoming. I none day I visited the Crazy Horse Monument,
Mount Rushmore, and Devils Tower.
NEXT STOP:
Shoshone National Forest
