Devils Tower National Monument

A 1,267-foot igneous butte rising from the Black Hills region of northeastern Wyoming, the first national monument in the United States, designated in 1906. The tower is composed of columnar phonolite porphyry with vertical crack systems that attract technical rock climbers from around the world. The 1.3-mile Tower Trail circles the base through a forest of cottonwood and pine, with close-up views of the columns. The butte holds significant spiritual importance to numerous Plains tribes and is the subject of voluntary climbing closures in June.