We continued our journey East today. Our destination was Sturgis, South Dakota which is 25 miles northwest of Rapid City on the northeastern edge of the famous Black Hills. As we traveled eastward in Wyoming we saw evidence of more recent rain than was seen from Bozeman, MT to Sheridan, WY. The vegetation is a little greener and more plentiful. We even saw a few ponds or small lakes. We were getting out of the mountainous area and into the rolling hills and even some plains. It is easy to tell where the rivers run out here because that is where you see lush, green vegetation and trees along the banks.
The rolling plains of Wyoming. I-90 often runs parallel to the BNSF railroad or the Yellowstone River.
Our historic stop for the day was Devil’s Tower, northeast of Gillette, Wyoming. Devil’s Tower is a huge mass of rock that rises 867 feet from its base and 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. Approximately 5000 climbers come from all over the world each year to ascend its height. The first recorded ascent was made by William Rogers and Willard Ripley on July 4, 1893. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devil’s Tower the first national monument in 1906. At the base of the tower on the grasslands below, prairie dogs make their homes in the ground and run playfully to and fro with some dens being very near the highway.
Devil’s Tower as seen from a pull-out a few miles from the formation. It is sacred to several tribes most of whom state that bear claws formed etched the sides of the rock.
The expanse of the boulder field at the base of the Tower is truly amazing. The path through this field is not on solid ground but a walkway paved on fill dirt and rock poured over the boulders. When viewing the location on Google Earth the large shadow it casts is easier to see than the top surface of the formation itself.
Devil’s Tower as viewed from the Visitor Center. Trees are all around the perimeter of the boulder field.
Park visitors from the vehicle in front of us got the attention of one, curious prairie dog. They were actually smaller than we imagined; less than half the size of a ground hog.
After levying Devil’s Tower we continued toward our home for the next six nights; Rush-No-More Campground just south of Sturgis, SD. It is a nice campground in spite of the fact there are no trees for shade. Byron noticed that very few of the campgrounds in the area have trees though trees are abundant in the Black Hills area. We have learned that our first question from now on will be: “Do you have shade trees?” Out here it seems you either get dust and shade or grass and no shade.
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