In what part of the planet is the Devil's Tower located? Devil's Tower: basalt mountain in the USA

(Devils Tower National Monument) is an unusual natural formation in the US state of Wyoming, which was formed by solidified lava and looks like a mesa. It rises almost 400 meters above the beautiful plain, which has received the status of a National Monument (in our language it is called a nature reserve) and is a sacred mountain for many. Devil's Tower is interesting primarily for its unusual shape and is a unique geological formation. And although it is located in a sparsely populated area in the north central part of the United States, we wanted to see it so much that we went there by car, making quite a detour on our route around the United States.

Getting to Devil's Tower wasn't all that easy for us, but it was definitely worth driving several thousand miles from where we started our trip. After all, what is Devil's Tower? It is a true wonder of nature, just like in Arizona. Compared to the world-famous Yellowstone Park and its smaller brother Grand Teton, Devils Tower also claims to be the main attraction, which is definitely worth seeing not only with your own eyes, but also, perhaps, to conquer as a climber.

(or Devils Tower, English Devils Tower) is the very first National Monument in the USA and, perhaps, the most memorable. This volcanic mountain is a real natural miracle - a huge block of volcanic origin reaching towards the stars. By the way, it is also known in our country under its English name – Devils Tower, which is official and commonly used.

Unfortunately, this interesting Wyoming attraction is located quite far from the traditional tourist routes across the USA, in the middle of countless fields. However, about 400 thousand people visit it annually. To be more precise, Devil's Tower is located in northeastern Wyoming, near the towns of Gillette ( Gillette) and Morecraft ( Moorcraft). As you probably already understood, you will have to travel a very long way, but it will be incredibly interesting!

Basic information:

Besides what Devil's Tower represents unique monument nature, it is also the oldest national monument in the United States. But it is also very deprived of the attention of Russian-speaking tourists, because few people dare to travel to Devils Tower through several states just to admire it.

An amazing coincidence, but the same can be said about another national monument in Idaho, which was among the very first to be discovered. This is about . What the two American beauties also have in common is that both attractions are of volcanic origin. But if the lunar craters show us the living history of volcanoes, of which there are, in principle, many on Earth, then Devils Tower is the only work of nature of this kind.

Devils Tower on a map of the USA

Now we’ll tell you how to get to the Devil’s Tower. This can only be done by car. If you're traveling within the US, it's pretty easy. Take Wyoming Highway 24 (see map below). There is only one single entrance to Devil's Tower from the road, so you won't miss it. There are many signs along the highway indicating the approach to the first US National Monument. Please note that it is open to the public all year round, 24 hours a day, with the exception of two holidays- Christmas and New Year.

Road map to Devil's Tower

Photo of Devil's Tower from the road

We continue our journey across the USA by car, and now we are approaching the Devil's Tower. And you can see it from afar! Everyone stops at observation deck and take a few photos. We stopped too.

Scientists disagree on the matter Origin of Devils Tower in Wyoming. There is also debate about its age, but in general there is an opinion that it is at least 50 million years old. Lower Mountain, which formed first, is not visible to the human eye. And there are debates about the reasons for its occurrence.

The only thing that can be said definitely is that we see two parts of the Devils Tower:

1. A tall, shapeless stone pedestal;
2. The formation directed upward to the sky, standing on this pedestal, which is famous throughout the world.

There is also no agreement about how the pillars that make up the Devil's Tower were formed. One version: when magma bubbled in the depths of the Earth, it forced rock to come out. And at first it looked like an eruption, traces of which we see around us and this can be judged by the shape of the second, middle part. And then for some reason the breed went up.

The stress accompanying the new state of the rock created voids, and then they led to a split within the rock. I don't know if this theory is true or not, but the other one is not. And there is an amazing mountain. Why did she go upstairs?

Indian legends about Devil's Tower

Indian legends about Devil's Tower say that once seven sisters were walking in the local forest and did not notice a bear. And when they saw it, they began to pray to the small mountain to save them. The mountain heard the call and answered. The girls rose to great heights. The bear, of course, tried to get them: that’s how stripes appeared on the surface of the mountain. However, the girls could no longer go down to their relatives, because the mountain turned out to be very high! And then they were taken to heaven, and they became stars, the constellation Pleiades. And today we look at this Devil’s Tower that has grown out of the ground and do not understand how it was formed.

The Indian legend about Devil's Tower in the painting: a bear climbing the mountain

There are many legends about the Pleiades, almost every nation. And the Indians too. So the legendary version tells the same thing as the scientists. The mountain grew out of the ground. Are the Pleiades and the local Indians connected? Usually yes. Each tribe has its own stories and stories about the main stars.

And the Indians don’t like the English name Devils Tower ( Devils Tower) of this area, which is associated with the mountain. For them this is a "Bear's Place". And to this day, on the Solstice, many different tribes come to the mountain and perform their rituals and pray.

Camping at Devil's Tower and Spielberg's film

Steven Spielberg filmed his film Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Devils Tower. And he was very close to the legends of the Indians, but interpreted them differently. He told a story not about someone being taken to heaven, but about someone flying from there. Perhaps he's coming back. After all, the tales of many tribes speak about this.

Here's what art director Joe Alves has to say about Devils Tower and the film today:

At the campsite where we settled right at the foot of the Tower, every evening, at dusk, a Spielberg film is shown in order to acquaint visitors even closer with the history of this unusual US National Monument. Before watching the film, we set up a tent, went on two treks around Devils Tower, washed clothes in the laundromat and cooked dinner on a gas burner.

We stayed overnight at the KOA campground near Devils Tower

Let's quickly go for a walk to the Devil's Tower itself!

Visit Devils Tower in Wyoming

To look at Devils Tower from all sides, you need to take the only road to the visitor center. Several trails start from there. One of them leads around the Devil's Tower, and allows you to get acquainted in detail with this extraordinary natural creation. Other trails allow you to get an impression of the surrounding area and admire the mountain from afar.

• First trail - Tower trail 2 km long, goes around the mountain itself;
• Second trail - Red beds trail longer - about 5 km, and it offers wonderful views of the valley.

Mount Devil's Tower rises 1,552 meters above sea level (but only 386 meters above ground level), and you can hike around it and explore it in more detail. To do this, it is proposed to go for a walk along one of two trails. We've been through both walking routes and were amazed by the local beauty.

You can also climb to the top of the Tower, of course, if you are an experienced climber. After all, some of them come here from all over the world precisely for this.

Scheme of hiking routes for trekking around Devil's Tower

Devils Tower National Monument trail map (clickable!)

For more information about Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming, visit the monument's official website. There you can also find out what opportunities are available to visitors, find out the latest news, create a program for your visit and plan your visit, including booking a campsite.

First trail - Tower trail

The Tower Trail goes around a tall volcanic mountain. It seemed that it was not that wide, but we walked for quite a long time, admiring the views around us, the nature and how the Devil’s Tower changes depending on the lighting and viewing angle.

Do not forget that the territory of the National Monument is a sacred place for the Indians

Coniferous trees predominate here

And we also looked at the stones in the autumn meadow

People, ah!? Climbers climb Devil's Tower

After seeing enough autumn nature in Wyoming, we headed to the exit

Second trail – Red beds trail (photo of part of the trail)

This route leads away from Devils Tower itself, allowing you to experience the beauty of Wyoming and other evidence of volcanic activity, like rock mushrooms or the red formation from which the trail gets its name. The same formations surround the campsite, so we, seeing that the day was sunset, decided to call it a day and head back.

And what we found especially beautiful during our walk were the views of the river valley stretching beneath the mountain.

There he is, in the distance, like a huge mushroom on a thin stalk

But most importantly, it offers stunning views of the river.

And the ground around is really red. It was in honor of these red formations that the trail got its name.

We were very surprised by this rock, on which pine trees grow, and swallows live in it

Stunning views

Autumn is gradually coming into its own

Our impressions: We loved Devils Tower National Monument so much that we didn't want to leave. We definitely recommend visiting this amazing place to everyone who has such an opportunity while traveling around the USA. We could have hit a couple more trails and spent time at a comfortable campsite, but we had to hurry. After all, other attractions of Wyoming awaited us ahead.

What else to see in Wyoming besides Devils Tower

In addition to Devils Tower, that is, Devil's Tower, there are many more in Wyoming interesting places that are worth visiting and which have made this state famous throughout the world:

• The state itself is very beautiful, we wrote a detailed article about it that we did on the road;
• And of course, the most famous state park is;
• And we can’t help but mention its picturesque neighbor.

We wish you interesting travels around the USA!

Devil's Tower is a mysterious monument in the heart of the Great Plains (USA, Wyoming) not far from Yellowstone National Park. Scientists argue over its origin, and local residents invent legends. Some believe this is a UFO landing site. Where could this huge rock in the middle of the plain come from?

But first things first.

Enlarged map of Devil's Tower. (Google maps)

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Devil's Tower on Google map maps

The Devil's Tower is located at an altitude of 1556 meters above sea level and rises 386 meters above the surrounding area. It is the first "national monument" of the United States, receiving its status from President Roosevelt in 1906. Every year, 400,000 tourists visit Devil's Tower.

The lines on the tower are so straight that it is difficult to believe that it was not created by man.

In winter, snow practically does not linger on the slopes due to their steepness.

The tower is shrouded in fog and it seems that it is hanging in the air.

The color is highly dependent on lighting and varies from orange to white.

It seems that aliens from other worlds are somewhere nearby.

There is a very beautiful view from the airplane window.

With this lighting, the tower became white.

At night it looks even more mysterious and mystical.

In the Lakota language, the monument is called Mato Tipila, which means House of the Bear or Bear's Den. Modern name he received it by mistake. In 1875, during an expedition led by Colonel Richard Dodge, the translator mistranslated the words of the Indians. As a result, the monument was first called the House of the Bad God, and later - the Devil's Tower. In 2005, several Native American tribes proposed renaming the monolith Bear Lodge, but their proposal was rejected.

Geologists agree that the tower is formed from volcanic material. But they cannot agree on how it was formed.

According to one version, the territory of the Great Plains was once covered by the sea and sedimentary layers formed at its bottom. At the site where the Devil's Tower is now, molten magma penetrated into the sedimentary rocks from the bowels of the earth. Having pushed apart the sandstones, shales and limestones that made up the seabed, the magma solidified before reaching the surface in the form of a columnar basalt body. After millions of years, the sea gave way to land and rain and wind began to destroy softer sedimentary rocks. And the harder volcanic stock began to rise upward little by little. The basalts from which it is composed, during cooling, turned into picturesque vertical formations, similar to hexagonal pillars. Due to this, the mountain seems to have been created by human hands, or by the hands of the devil, but certainly not by nature.

Other scientists believe that Devils Tower is all that remains from a volcanic eruption. Erosion processes continue to this day, so that part of the tower hidden underground is still waiting in the wings.

The Indians have their own version of the origin of Devil's Tower. According to legend, seven girls were walking in the forest and were attacked by huge angry bears. The girls ran for a long time from the angry animals, but the bears did not lag behind. With the last of their strength, the children climbed onto a small rock and began to utter prayers for salvation to the Great Spirit. The spirit heard the girls' pleas and the stone began to grow rapidly. Thus, the girls began to move away from the bears. Enraged, the animals tried to climb the rock, but they failed. And on the rock forever there were traces of their huge claws. At the same time, the mountain grew and grew upward until the girls were able to step into the sky, where they turned into the stars of the Pleiades.

Nowadays, people continue to engage in myth-making. According to the beliefs of some local residents, the top of the rock is a landing site for UFOs. There are good reasons for this. Unidentified flying objects have been repeatedly spotted in the vicinity of the mountain, and strange light phenomena have been spotted on the top of the rock. Lightning very often strikes the top of the Devil's Tower. And the fact that this damn rock is the only object towering over the area is not an argument for them.

Devil's Tower was considered impregnable for a long time. It was first climbed by two local farmers at the end of the 19th century. They used ladders rather than climbing equipment to climb. The climber's ascent took place only in 1938. It was Jack Durance. The third person to climb the inaccessible rock was professional parachutist George Hopkins, who reached the top of the mountain from above in 1941. He jumped out of the plane with a parachute. The landing was successful, but getting down from the Tower was not as easy as Hopkins thought. The ropes that were dropped to him from the planes fell by or were damaged by hitting the rocks. It was not possible to use a helicopter or airship due to bad weather conditions. The paratrooper was captured on a rock.

Jack Durance before jumping to Devil's Tower.

In my opinion, in 1941 the Americans didn’t have these yet.)))

All of America was talking about this news. As it turned out, none of the climbers could climb to the top of the rock. I had to look for Jack Durance. In the end, he saved Hopkins by climbing the mountain again.

Today the Tower is very popular among climbers and climbers. And interest in it continues to grow. A considerable number of routes have already been laid to the top of the Tower. The structure of the rock is very unusual, and therefore the climbing technique also requires additional skills. For example, the ability to move across terrain in a spread and crack climbing.

Video: “Conquest of the Devil's Tower”

Of the 400,000 tourists who visit Devil's Tower each year, only one percent decides to climb to the top. But the Indians are against crowds of tourists climbing to the top of the rock, since it is sacred to them. Therefore, most climbers do not climb here in June. At this time, the Indians hold their ceremonies.

You can get to Devil's Tower: in the USA by any (road, air, rail) mode of transport to the city of Rapid City (or Gillette in the northeast of Wyoming); then only by car up to the hill.

At the end, as always, I bring to your attention a short video.

Finally, I would like to say that this mountain appears in films about aliens. Such as: “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977) - Steven Spielberg and “Paul” (2011) - Greg Mottola.

That's it for sure now!!! And to hell with it, with this tower!

Devil's Tower (Devil's Tower) is located in the northwestern United States, in the heart of the Great Plains (in the valley of the Belle Fourche River, Wyoming), not far from the low pine-covered Black Hills range. It is a monolithic basalt mountain (monolith of volcanic origin) 1558 m above sea level (386 m above the river valley) and relative height 265 m.

It is a US national monument. The age of Devils Tower is estimated to be between 225 and 195 million years. The mountain, of unusually regular shape, for a long time gave the impression of an artificial structure, but not of human, but of diabolical origin. It should be noted that the rock is 2.5 times larger in size.

Geographic coordinates of Devil's Tower are 44°35′25″ north latitude; 104°42′55″ west longitude.

Name. Peculiarities

According to one legend, the mountain got its name due to a linguistic error. 1875 - during the expedition of Colonel Richard Dodge, the translator incorrectly translated the words of the local Indians. Instead of the House of the Bear, the mountain began to be called the House of the Bad God, and later - the Devil's Tower.

Its appearance is mysterious, resembling either a powerful fortress tower or a monstrous tree stump. Its completely illogical appearance among the plains stretching over hundreds of kilometers is also mysterious.

Lightning often strikes its flat top, because on the vast plain in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Devil's Tower is the only such object. Its ribbed truncated cone rises almost four hundred meters above the river flowing nearby and is visible on clear days 160 km away. At the base, the diameter of this huge basalt rock reaches 300 m, and at the top it decreases to 84 m.

How did Devil's Tower come about?

For geologists, the origin of the basalt cone is not a mystery. 50 million years ago, when the territory of the Great Plains was covered by the sea and thick layers of sediment were deposited at its bottom, at the site where Devils Tower is now, a molten mass of magma penetrated from the depths into these sedimentary rocks. Having pushed apart the sandstones, shales and limestones that made up the seabed, the magma solidified before reaching the surface in the form of a columnar basalt body. Scientists call such bodies stocks.

Millions of years passed and the sea retreated, and erosion processes eventually destroyed the cover of softer sedimentary rocks, leaving the mighty stock to show off in the open. The basalts from which it consists, as they cooled, turned into picturesque vertical formations, similar to hexagonal pillars. This kind of polygonal prism can be observed in other places where basalts are found. They are used, for example, to make up the gigantic Causeway of Giants dam in Ireland or the high coastal cliffs of the Kuril Islands.

Tower and time

The towering stem of the Devil's Tower, involuntarily catching the eye in the middle of the endless plain, is an extremely majestic and unique sight. Of course, even the strongest rock will eventually be unable to withstand the forces of erosion, and pieces of faceted columns gradually separate from the top of the rock and fall down, thereby forming a gentle hill at its base. But the main part of the giant stone cylinder is still a spectacular stone “sheaf” of smooth basalt “ears” with sheer walls. Climbing it and especially descending it is not an easy task even for experienced climbers equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.

Conquering the peak

We conquered this peak only twice: local in the 19th century and rock climber Jack Durrance in 1938. The plane will not be able to land on the top, and helicopters are literally blown away from the small area. Experienced skydiver George Hopkins wanted to become the third conqueror of Devil's Tower.

He landed successfully, but all the special ropes dropped from the planes became unusable when they hit the rocks. The parachutist found himself hostage to the mountain. The news of this spread throughout the United States. Soon dozens of planes were circling the air, dropping free food and equipment on Hopkins. However most of didn't arrive.

As it turned out, on the impregnable smooth granite rock there were hordes of rats, which became more impudent every night. If there is no life there, then the question of what these insatiable creatures feed on remains a mystery. A specially assembled committee to rescue Hopkins called in experienced climber Ernst Field and his partner. However, the climbers returned after 3 hours of climbing. Field admitted: “We can’t handle this damn block! Professionals who conquer peaks over 8 km high turned out to be powerless in front of a height of 386 meters!”

The Committee began looking for D. Durrance through the media. Two days later he arrived and began preparing for the climb one by one known route. The climbers, led by Durrance, reached the top and lowered the exhausted parachutist down. In total, Hopkins was captive of the rock for about a week.

The inexplicable attractive power of the mountain

The gigantic tower has been widely popular for more than 200 years. Drawings and engravings with its image, and later photographs of this natural masterpiece, circulated in all geographical publications and geology textbooks. And travelers crossing the northern part of the United States certainly tried to see its mighty silhouette and take away as a souvenir a piece of basalt picked up at its foot. Her attractive power seems inexplicable. After all, there are even more strange-shaped rocks in America, located in picturesque mountainous areas or in the exotic surroundings of desert landscapes. But for some reason, neither the enchanted stone city of Monument Valley nor the bizarre rock outcrops in the canyons of Colorado arouse such interest among tourists.

But no matter how picturesque the “stone forests” of Cappadocia and Madagascar, the castles of Meteora or the round caps of the islands of Halong Bay are, these are still only charming landscapes, nothing more. A completely different matter is the cyclopean structures created jointly by long-suffering surface processes and the frantic, frantic fury of the boiling hot bowels of the Earth.

At the sight of them, respectful admiration and a slight shock arise from a certain physical sensation of the immense titanic power of those forces that lurk for the time being in the hot domains of Pluto and, breaking free, freeze with giant black cannons, as if ready to engage in battle with thunderclouds. And no traveler can ever forget the harsh majesty of the Devil's Tower, exposing its rough ribbed sides to thunderstorms and winds in the vast expanses of the American Great Plains.

Note to tourists

The cost of parking at Devils Tower is $10 per car for up to 7 days. This amount includes tourist taxes for each passenger. Parking for a motorcycle will cost $5. If you got to the reserve by taxi, the tourist tax is paid additionally - $5 for each tourist.

There are several walks around the rock walking routes. The length of the longest is almost 3 km, and the shortest is just over a kilometer. Near the tower there is a picnic area and a tourist office, where you can get all the information you need about the place, have a snack, buy souvenirs, and, if necessary, hire a guide. The center is open from 8:00 to 19:00.

Every year in June, the management of the national monument asks climbers and tourists to voluntarily refrain from climbing the rock. The local Indians consider the first month of summer sacred: they perceive climbing the mountain during this period as disrespect for their culture. The rest of the time the tower is accessible to climbers.

The closest campsite, Belle Forch Campground, is 4 km south of Devils Tower. It operates only during the summer season, from May to September. The cost of accommodation is $12 per day per car. There are 50 places in total.

More detailed information not only about Devil's Tower, but also about other natural attractions of the state of Wyoming is available on the official website of the Service national parks USA.

How to get there

The closest towns to Devil's Tower are Hewlett (14 km northeast of the reserve), Sundance (43 km southeast) and Morecroft (53 km southwest). Accessible via highways WY24 and US-14. Public transport there is no service in this part of Wyoming; You can only get there by rented car or taxi.

Devil's Tower - the most mysterious rock in America

A huge basalt pillar right in the middle of the plain with the ominous name Devil's Tower has been attracting climbers from all over the world to Wyoming for more than a hundred years. But with an altitude of only 386 meters, not many daredevils conquered it. How can you not believe in mysticism?

When you first look at this mountain rising right in the middle of the Great Plains, associations come to mind with some extremely hypertrophied stump or a tower erected by some crazy architect. Its impeccably regular shape and incredible size make this mountain formation almost the main attraction of the state of Wyoming, which is sparse in spectacular places. It is no coincidence that back in 1906, in the area surrounding the Devil's Tower, a National Park, and the peak itself acquired the status of a National Monument.

The Indians called this mountain Mata Tipila, which translated means “House of the Bear.” To this day, the time-worn legend of seven girls who were attacked by a bear during a carefree walk in the forest is still circulating in mythology collections. Desperate to escape from the enraged beast, the girls climbed onto a rock and began to pray for salvation from above. As a result, the stone grew to the very sky, and the girls descended from it directly onto the celestial plateau and became the stars of the Pleiades. No matter how hard the bear tried to climb the mountain, he failed, and the longitudinal marks from his claws remaining on the surface of the stone are direct evidence of his ethereal attempts to taste innocent child flesh. Looking at this wonderful rock, you involuntarily agree with the way of thinking of the indigenous people: something very large, evil and otherworldly really lives here.

The nature of the origin of this unique object is shrouded in mystery and a thick layer of dust. Scientists say Devils Tower is nothing more than the remains of an impressive mountain range, which suffered a crushing defeat in a battle with time and adverse weather conditions. Two hundred million years ago, the Great Plain was entirely covered by sea. Magma, which penetrated into the thickness of the seabed from the seething bowels of the earth, became the impetus for the formation of a columnar basalt body. Over time, the sea that ruled here subsided, exposing basalt formations that once appeared at the very bottom, and time, merciless to all living and even inanimate things, taking erosion as an ally, destroyed even the basalt. This version is supported by fragments of rocks scattered here and there throughout the foot of the majestic tower. Pieces fell away, but the base itself, which is a gigantic stone pillar, still amazes tourists from all over the world to this day.

There is another, much less plausible, but captivating with a mystical aura, version of the origin of the Devil’s Tower. The correct shape of the rock suggests that someone did a good job on it besides nature, and since people in those days were unable to erect such “construction” objects, the thought of the intervention of higher powers takes place in the human mind . It is clear that God has nothing to do with it - the object is too gloomy and ominous to be the fruit of divine intervention. But the Devil...

The Indians who lived nearby considered the Devil to be the owner of this amazing mountain. The consciousness of the aborigines placed him at the very top and endowed him with the ability to cause thunder and lightning, mercilessly striking people with fiery arrows. It is likely that lightning claimed many human lives over several centuries, and the Indians generously shared their knowledge with the first white settlers. Actually, the latter should be credited with the authorship of the modern name of the mountain – Devil`s Tower.

Moving away from primitive beliefs in some all-powerful Devil who found refuge at the top majestic mountain, the consciousness of people began to look for the nature of the mysterious light anomalies that regularly reveal themselves at the peak, in the plane of contact with an alien civilization, and to consider the peak as a landing site for flying objects from other planets. This curious version became widespread after Steven Spielberg’s wonderful film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” in which a UFO lands right on that very peak.

Numerous rumors about unclean origins mountain peak do not in the least deter ambitious climbers, in whose dreams the conquest of Devil's Tower occupies about the same place as a Royal Flush in the hands of a poker player. The height of the Tower is 386 meters - this is higher than the famous Empire State Building in New York, but by mountaineering standards there is nothing extraordinary in these figures. Much greater heights were also conquered. The difficulty in the case of the Devil's Tower is caused by its sheer walls: getting to the top is not just difficult, but incredibly difficult, and even more difficult to get back, since the descent is much more dangerous than the ascent. Plus, the danger of falling boulders from great heights is still relevant.

Every attempt to conquer an inaccessible peak involves a huge risk to life. The pioneer was one of the local residents, but this happened back in the 19th century, and there is absolutely no way to confirm this information now. Almost a century later, in 1938, this feat was repeated by Jack Durrance.

The third conqueror of the ominous Tower was George Hopkins, but unlike his predecessors, he conquered it from the air. An experienced skydiver desired worldwide fame, but found himself hostage to the devilish peak: he successfully landed on the mountain, but the euphoria of success soon gave way to a complete lack of constructive solutions to the problem of getting down to the ground. The parachutist became a prisoner of the rock.
The same Durrance came to the rescue, leading a mountaineering expedition to rescue an ambitious parachutist.

All of America was talking about this news. Crowds of tourists and onlookers surrounded the Tower, and the prisoner gave an interview on live radio. Soon, dozens of planes were circling the air, dropping free food and equipment provided by manufacturing companies for promotional purposes on Hopkins. Tired of dodging falling objects, the paratrooper began begging on the radio to stop the bombing, especially since most of the objects were still falling into the abyss.

Devil's Tower

Despite the abundance of food, in the rain and piercing wind, Hopkins' strength quickly left him. In addition, it turned out that the inaccessible granite rock was inhabited by rats, which became more impudent every night. A specially created committee to rescue Hopkins called in experienced mountaineer Ernst Field and his partner Gorrell from Colorado for a rescue operation. But the team of climbers, after visual reconnaissance and 3 hours of ascent, were forced to return and abandon further attempts. Field admitted: “This damn block is too tough for us!”

It seemed incredible - professionals conquer peaks higher than 8000 m, but are powerless before a height of 390 m! The committee began looking for Jack Durrance through the press, and only a day later he was found on east coast in Dartmouth. Another day later, he arrived and began preparing for the ascent along the old route, only known to him. At exactly noon the ascent to the Devil's Tower began. Despite the fact that the top of the rock was covered with thick fog, climbers under the leadership of Durrance reached the top and, using special equipment, lowered the exhausted parachutist down. In total, Hopkins remained a prisoner of the Tower for about a week.

After the long-awaited descent to the ground, Hopkins, who languished on the mountain for a week, told the whole world about entire hordes of huge rats that had settled at the very top. If there is no life there, then the question of what these insatiable creatures can feed on remains open.

Of the 400,000 tourists who visit Devil's Tower each year, only one percent decides to climb to the top. But the Indians are against crowds of tourists climbing to the top of the rock, since it is sacred to them. Therefore, most climbers do not climb here in June. At this time, the Indians hold their ceremonies.

Today the Tower is very popular among climbers and climbers. A considerable number of routes have already been laid to the top of the Tower. In terms of its structure, the rock relief is very unusual, and therefore the climbing technique also requires additional skills, for example, the ability to move along the relief in a thrust. Also, a lot of crevice climbing.

Routes to the Devil's Tower

You can get to Devil's Tower: in the USA by any (road, air, rail) mode of transport to the city of Rapid City (or Gillette in the northeast of Wyoming); then only by car up to the hill.

Years pass, and the rock still majestically rises above the Great Plain, maintaining such an attractive mystical aura around itself. From time to time, mysterious glows are observed in the sky above it, eyewitness accounts of unidentified flying objects are recorded, researchers speculate about the mysterious purpose of the Tower, assigning it the role of almost a new Noah's Ark during the coming apocalypse or a corridor to another dimension still unknown to us. Many questions, the answers to which are known only to God. Or is it the Devil?

Devil's Tower is a free-standing rock in the form of a pillar. Geologists call such formations columnar separation. This rock seems to be made up of individual stone pillars assembled in bunches. This building is located in the USA, in Wyoming.

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Devil's Tower 44.590242 , -104.715140 Devil's Tower State reserve Devil's Tower, Wyoming 110, Devils Tower, Wyoming, USA (Calculate route)

The mountain has an unusually regular outline, and although its age exceeds 200 million years, it most closely resembles an artificial structure. The Devil's Tower is larger than the famous pyramid Cheops more than 2 times.

Devil's Tower

The height of the American tower is 390 m with a base width approximately equal to Egyptian pyramid. The construction seemed artificial, but it was impossible to imagine that such a miracle was produced by human hands. Therefore, the construction of the Tower was prescribed to the Devil, hence the name. The mountain aroused superstitious fears among people for a long time - locals claimed that they had repeatedly observed strange streams and flashes of light above the top of the tower.

Devil's Tower, mountain in the USA

The Indians called this mountain Mata Tipila, which translated means “House of the Bear.” To this day, the time-worn legend of seven girls who were attacked by a bear during a carefree walk in the forest is still circulating in mythology collections. Desperate to escape from the enraged beast, the girls climbed onto a rock and began to pray for salvation from above. As a result, the stone grew to the very sky, and the girls descended from it directly onto the celestial plateau and became the stars of the Pleiades. No matter how hard the bear tried to climb the mountain, he failed, and the longitudinal marks from his claws remaining on the surface of the stone are direct evidence of his ethereal attempts to taste innocent child flesh. Looking at this wonderful rock, you involuntarily agree with the way of thinking of the indigenous people: something very large, evil and otherworldly really lives here.

Mount Mata Tupila, Devil's Tower

Nowadays, the Devil's Tower is no longer the object of superstitious legends, but it has been chosen by filmmakers for filming films in the genre of mysticism and fantasy. These days, the Tower continues to spawn other, more modern stories. One of them places on the top of the tower a platform for visits to Earth by alien ships (for details we refer to the film by S. Spielberg “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”).

Spielberg's aliens landed on Devil's Tower

Difficult climbing conditions attract the interest of climbers to the Tower. Climbers have stormed this peak twice. In the 19th century, a local resident was a brave daredevil; in the 20th century, climber Jack Durrance was. Due to its small size, it is impossible for an airplane to land on the top, and due to constant gusts of strong wind, helicopters cannot land on the site.

The Devil's Tower is not subject to climbers

Skydiver John Hopkins decided to become the third person in the world to conquer Devil's Tower. He successfully landed on the very top of the Tower, which is a flat area. But the descent turned out to be far from so simple. At first it turned out that the ropes that were dropped from the planes were not suitable for use - they were literally crushed on the rocks during the fall. John became a hostage of the Devil's Tower. Sensation-hungry newspapermen spread the news throughout the country, and soon a live television broadcast was organized from the top of Devil's Tower. Tourists, onlookers, and television viewers listened to the jokes of the captive of the rock that he was ready to give rise to a new branch of humanity if a flood suddenly happened below. The only thing he lacks for this is a new Eve.

Devil's Tower at sunset

Many companies, for advertising purposes, wanted to supply the brave housekeeper with food, equipment and clothing. Planes were circling around the Tower, dropping packages. The paratrooper found himself literally under a rain of various objects, and began to ask to stop the bombing, especially since most of the packages still flew into the abyss.

Impregnable Devil's Tower

Although the prisoner did not experience hunger and was well equipped, his strength was quickly dwindling. In addition, it turned out that the Tower was home to hordes of rats, which were not stopped by the smooth granite walls and every night the rats became more and more aggressive.

The Hopkins Rescue Committee, which was hastily created, invited climber Ernst Field and his partner Gorrell. The professionals carried out visual reconnaissance for a whole hour, tried to climb the granite rock for another three hours, and still retreated in front of the impregnable Devil's Tower, abandoning further attempts to climb.

Something incredible was happening. Climbers conquer eight-thousanders in impassable mountain regions, but a rock less than 400 m high in the center of America remains inaccessible to humans!

Impenetrable Rock - Devil's Tower

Through the press, a search began for Durrance, who had already climbed the Tower in 1938, and a day later they found him in Dartmoort. He agreed to help, and upon arrival, he immediately began preparing for the ascent along a route known to him alone. At 12 noon the ascent began. The summit was shrouded in fog, as if the Tower was not going to let go of its prey so easily. However, a group of climbers reached the top, and the exhausted prisoner was lowered in a special cradle. Hopkins spent 7 days at the top of the Tower. In our time, when a person can move to almost any point on the planet, the Devil’s Tower remains unconquered... for a person. Rats feel quite at ease there.

Years pass, and the rock still majestically rises above the Great Plain, maintaining such an attractive mystical aura around itself. From time to time, mysterious glows are observed in the sky above it, eyewitness accounts of unidentified flying objects are recorded, researchers speculate about the mysterious purpose of the Tower, assigning it the role of almost a new Noah’s Ark during the coming apocalypse or a corridor to another dimension still unknown to us. Many questions, the answers to which are known only to God. Or is it the Devil?

Mysterious glow over Devil's Tower