Devils Tower National Monument will soon be in full travel-mode, with the visitor center and campgrounds soon opening. NPS photo.
Spring doesn't rush on its way to Wyoming, but that's not stopping the folks at Devils Tower National Monument from getting their grounds ready for the travel season.
The visitor center at the monument, located in northeastern Wyoming, is scheduled to open for the season on April 14 with hours from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday until May 1. Beginning May 1 the visitor center will be open seven days a week, and on May 29 the hours will extend, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Those hours will remain set in place until September 6, when they'll scale back a bit to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Devils Tower visitor center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Exhibits about the natural and cultural history of the area are displayed. Programs on the historic and natural features of the Tower will be offered daily during the summer months. The Devils Tower Natural History Association has a variety of books, postcards, posters, DVDs and videos for sale.
The Belle Fourche campground and picnic area will open on Tuesday, April 20, and will remain open through the end of October, weather permitting. Camping fees are $12/night. Golden Age and Golden Access cardholders pay $6.00 per night. The campground has flush toilets and fresh water available, but does not have any hook-ups.
The monument offers various programs and activities throughout the summer. The Cultural Program Series brings special guest speakers to Devils Tower to share their expertise and demonstrate their unique talents. This year’s roster begins with Jan Conn’s program on Tower Climbing on Saturday, May 29, and ends with the annual Cowboy Poetry Festival on Sunday, September 5.
For information to help plan your visit, please visit www.nps.gov/deto or call 307-467-5283. Information on summer activities and the Cultural Program Series is available at http://www.nps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/events.htm or by calling Chief of Interpretation Hugh Hawthorne at 307-467-5283, Extension 224.
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Comments
Gee Kurt, not one mention about how this monument is a sacred Native American site. Just some info about how the cowboys like it and how great it is to climb. I think it is quite odd that approximately 90% of "our" National Parks "used" to be Native, but this fact only gets mentioned about 1%. Oh, by the way, it's called Mato Tipila, or for your non-native readers Grizzly Bear Lodge.
You're right, Osensible1, no mention in this story. But there was in the following:
/2010/04/rangers-devils-tower-national-monument-watching-nesting-prairie-falcons5618
/2008/09/devils-tower-national-monument-has-climbing-management-plan-takes-native-american-cultural-v
/2008/09/japanese-artist-creates-peace-sculpture-tribal-connections-interpretive-site-devils-tower-na
Time and staffing, unfortunately, do not allow for every story to be encyclopedic and some fault no doubt can be found in every one. Certainly, had the park release about the opening of the facilities mentioned events tied to Native Americans, we would have passed that along.
If you'd like to write an article about Native American sacred sites across the National Park System, we'd gladly consider it for posting.
Thanks for the invite, unfortunately it would require the majority of your site. Concerning the 3 articles you mentioned, they were a good read. It is quite comical that falcons get a bigger priority than Natives. So the park service only asks for a "voluntary" do not climb during the sacred month of June, whereas the birds get the full monty. Yeah that makes prefect sense. This is just another example of the powers to be not really giving a damn about the fact that Mato Tipila is a sacred site. Oh, and about the japanese fellow, that article would not have been written unless some other person from some other country had noticed how important the site is to Natives. Cheers.
The offer stands. In fact, we could make it a series of articles.
You serious?
Sure, if you're up for it. As you indicate, there are many stories, from the Cherokee and Great Smoky to the Blackfeet and Glacier and the Miwok and Yosemite, just to name a few. Contact me via email if you're interested.