Fifty miles from the border of South Dakota and in the far corner of north-eastern Wyoming, Devil’s Tower National Monument was the country’s first national monument in 1906. If you’re old enough you’ll recognise it as the spot where the alien landed in Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
This 867-foot volcanic outcrop is a true national icon and sits on top of a thickly forested hill above the Belle Fourche River. It resembles a giant wizen tree stump, but with the ever changing hues from the sun and moon, it can be hauntingly beautiful.
When you see it loom in the distance, don’t drive on by, it’s far more fascinating close up!