Devil’s Tower History, Legend and Close Encounters of the Third Kindv

I first discovered Devil’s Tower the same way millions of people did in 1977, when Close Encounters of the Third Kind lit up movie screens and cemented this Wyoming landmark into pop culture history. Seeing it on film felt magical, but standing before it in person is something else entirely. It rises 867 feet straight out of the open landscape, a towering stone pillar that looks like it was dropped into the plains by some cosmic force. Even though it is often called a mountain, it feels more like a giant monument carved by time itself. Every year, about twenty thousand climbers test their skills on its sheer vertical sides, while countless tourists circle its base in awe.

To the Lakota Sioux, the place is known as Mato Tipila, or Bear’s Lodge, a name rich in meaning and deep cultural history. Devil’s Tower became the first national monument in the United States in 1906. Still, the name itself comes from a 1875 expedition whose leader misunderstood a translation and reported that locals called it “bad god’s tower.” That mistranslation became “Devil’s Tower,” a name that many Native communities still find offensive. Today, several tribes are actively petitioning to restore the name Bear Lodge as a sign of respect for their cultural traditions and sacred stories.

From a geological perspective, the tower is made of phonolite porphyry, a type of igneous rock that resembles granite but lacks quartz, giving it a smoother, less sparkly finish. Scientists explain its formation through volcanic activity, but the traditional stories offer something far more poetic. According to Kiowa and Lakota teachings, a group of young girls was playing when giant bears began to chase them. The girls prayed for help, and the Great Spirit raised the rock beneath them into the sky. The bears clawed at the rising tower, leaving long, straight grooves that still scar its sides today. Standing there, looking up at those marks, it is easy to imagine the power of that ancient story and the awe the land inspires.

Tourists continue to visit the site in huge numbers, and the landmark remains one of the top climbing destinations in the United States. Since records began, seven climbers have lost their lives at Devil’s Tower. Climbing is still allowed, but park officials routinely respond to stranded or poorly equipped visitors who get into trouble on the steep columns, and a fatal incident in 2024 stands as the most recent case on record.

Whether you come to Devil’s Tower for the geology, the mythology, or the pop culture nostalgia, the experience stays with you. It is a place where science, legend, and personal wonder all meet under the endless Wyoming sky.