Devils Tower is a natural rock formation in Wyoming, USA, with an uncertain origin. It is sacred to local tribes and popular with climbers, but a voluntary ban is encouraged in June. It was the first US National Monument and featured in the film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
Devils Tower is a natural rock formation in northeastern Wyoming. It is an igneous structure that rises 1,267 feet (386 m) from the surrounding ground, which is composed of different material. Exactly how Devils Tower was formed is a matter of debate. Devils Tower was the first United States National Monument, established in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. It is a significant site in Native American history and modern popular culture.
The tower formation is composed of igneous or volcanic rock. They could be the remains of an ancient volcano, most of which has been obliterated by millions of years of erosion. Another possibility is that it was formed by underground magmatic flows that solidified and were later revealed by erosion. Geologists have yet to uncover conclusive evidence one way or another, but it’s clear that the tower, with its distinctive igneous columns, is different from nearby sedimentary rocks.
Devils Tower was and is sacred to local tribes such as the Lakota, Kiowa and Cheyenne, who attributed rock striations to the claws of a bear god. Later Americans found it equally endearing. The formation was the cornerstone of Roosevelt’s creation of a system of national parks and monuments. The possessive apostrophe in “Devil’s” was omitted, apparently due to an early clerical error, and the official name remains “Devils Tower” to this day.
In 1941, a daredevil successfully parachuted to the top of the tower as a publicity stunt. He then discovered that he had no way to get off. The man was stranded for six days until a rescue team was able to retrieve him.
Devils Tower is a popular site for climbers, generally using the ‘traditional’ climbing method, where no climbing aid is left behind when the climb is over. However, local tribes do not approve of climbing the structure, as they consider it sacrilegious to do so. In an effort to find a compromise, the US National Park Service encourages a voluntary ban on climbing during the month of June, when most tribal ceremonies involving the tower take place.
Devils Tower may be best known to many people due to its prominent use in director Steven Spielberg’s 1977 film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. It was Spielberg’s second blockbuster film, after “Jaws” brought him worldwide fame. The climax of “Close Encounters” involves extraterrestrials making contact with humans at the base of Devils Tower. The central character, played by Richard Dreyfuss, becomes obsessed with this impending meeting. He spends the second half of the film building models in the distinctive shape of Devils Tower before making his way to the monument itself.
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