2017-01-14 04:36:10
SPEND A DAY AT AMERICA’S FIRST NATIONAL MONUMENT Devils Tower National Monument, a unique and striking geologic wonder steeped in Indian legend, is a modern day national park and rock climbers’ challenge. “Circle of Sacred Smoke” sculpture near Devils Tower National Monument A SACRED HISTORY Two geologic features protrude out of the rolling prairie that surrounds the Black Hills region. Both of the sites are considered sacred places to the Lakota and other tribes that have a connection to the Black Hills and surrounding area. One Lakota legend connects the two sites, Devils Tower in Wyoming and Bear Butte in South Dakota. It tells of two Sioux boys who wandered far from their village. Mato the bear, a huge creature with claws the size of teepee poles, spotted them and wanted to eat them for breakfast. He was almost upon them when the boys prayed to Wakan Tanka, the Creator, to help them. They rose up on a huge rock, while Mato tried to get up from every side, leaving huge scratch marks as he did. Finally, he sauntered off, disappointed and discouraged. The bear came to rest northeast of the Black Hills at what is now Bear Butte. Wanblee, the eagle, helped the boys off the rock and back to their village. At the Devils Tower Visitor Center, a painting depicting the Cheyenne legend hangs over the fireplace. According to this legend and others, the tower’s grooves are the claw marks of a great bear. Today, both landmarks are national treasures, and both retain their spiritual significance to the region’s Native American tribes. Visitors can easily visit both during a day’s journey in the Northern Hills. SEE & DO The drive through the Belle Fourche River Valley is particularly beautiful, no matter the season. As one approaches the town of Hulett, glimpses of Devils Tower come tantalizingly into view. Larger and larger it looms, until the dramatic pillar, rising 1,267 feet above the surrounding terrain, fills the horizon. At this point, consider diving into nature’s bountiful beauty with a trail ride at the Diamond 7 Bar Guest Ranch, where riders can view the Tower on horseback. Sundance Kid in Sundance, WY The two-square-mile park surrounding the tower was proclaimed the nation’s first national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Walking around the base is a great hike in any season. The one-hour Tower Trail around the base is self-guided and offers close-up views of the forest and wildlife, not to mention spectacular views of the Tower itself. The Red Beds Trail covers a much wider three-mile loop around the Tower. Devils Tower is about 1,000 feet in diameter at the bottom and 275 feet at the top. Hundreds of parallel cracks divide the stone pillar into large hexagonal columns, making it one of the finest traditional crack climbing areas in North America. If you are interested in climbing “The Tower,” but would like a professional guide to lead the route, contact the experts at Sylvan Rocks Climbing School & Guide Service. All persons planning to climb or scramble above the boulder field are required to register before and immediately after climbing each day. (Registration is free.) THE WYOMING BLACK HILLS The Vore Buffalo Jump near Beulah is a giant sinkhole used by Plains Indian tribes between 1500 and 1800 A. D. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 bison. The Vore Buffalo Jump is yet today an active dig site, research and visitor center along I-90, west of Beulah, WY. Visit www.vorebuffalojump. org for more information. Sundance is the biggest town in the Bear Lodge Mountains. Visit the free Crook County Museum and the lock-up where the Sundance Kid was jailed. For a unique step back in time, plan to partake in the town’s “Sip & Walk” living history tour. You’ll meet Sheriff Ryan and other Sundance characters while sipping on wine, beer or sarsaparilla—out of a tin cup, of course! The old storefront of the Aladdin Store makes up most of the town of Aladdin, population 15. “It’s like walking back into 1890,” one visitor said. Aisles are full of things that have not been seen for a century, but rest assured, the store has modern refreshments. Farther south, Newcastle is a ranching, timber and oil town on the flanks of the southern Black Hills. Newcastle’s heritage is steeped in agriculture and energy production. The people are independent individuals with a work hard, play hard attitude. Even though they are across the state line, the towns of Beulah, Hulett, Newcastle, and Sundance are very much a part of the Black Hills “community.” Visit www.travelwyoming.com to learn more about things to see and do in our neighboring state.
©South-Dakota. View All Articles.