Devils Tower National Monument

When we left Deadwood we headed for Devils Tower in Wyoming and got to enjoy a lot of changing scenery as we headed further west - red clay hills, plateaus, and then finally some clouds floating lower than the mountaintops. The most exciting part of the drive was spotting the Rocky Mountains in the distance - it was Taras's first time seeing the Rockies!

Devils Tower is a geological feature that protrudes 1,267 feet up from the surrounding prairie land (the summit is 5,114 feet above sea level) and is a popular spot for climbing enthusiasts. It was also the first-ever declared National Monument, in 1906. The Tower is sacred to many Native American tribes, even today. Annually, during the month of June, climbers are asked to stay off the Tower so the tribes can conduct ceremonies around the monument.

Devils Tower was fun to spot from miles away, and was a spectacular (enormous) sight once we drove closer. There's a spot on the roadside to pull over and get a good view of the Tower and read the information plaque. We decided, since we were visiting in June, to not drive into the Monument or bother with touching the formation.

-Amanda

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial National Park, ND (and a video!)

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial National Park was the first National Park we visited on our trip. We were so excited for the change of scenery - more nature, camping, and time outdoors!

What we loved most about this park were the animals. There were wild horses roaming the hills; they looked beautiful and majestic. There were so many prairie dogs, which are somehow the cutest things ever. They live in prairie dog towns, which are basically stretches of land where the animals burrow in holes and live together.  And they pop their heads up and down and make the coolest "eeep" sound each time - we could have stared at them for hours. The buffalo, or bison, roam all over the park. This was our first exposure to the animal and, though extremely large and capable of a lot of harm if they so incline, their temperaments were much like that of cows, peaceful and grazing.

We also had our first exposure to warning signs about rattlesnakes. I was very unnerved about the whole thing at first, but I calmed down a bit after Taras appropriately searched our campsite!

-Amanda

This video shows a prairie dog and a giant herd of buffalo with their babies. If you're able to hear the squeaks when the video is on the buffalo, that sound is the prairie dogs. There was a prairie dog town at the front of the land, and the heard of buffalo in the back.

North Dakota on Dwellable