Hidden in the northeastern plains of Wyoming stands one of the most mysterious and awe-inspiring landmarks in America, Devils Tower. Rising nearly 900 feet above the ground, this ancient monolith has baffled scientists, inspired Native legends, drawn UFO believers, and even starred in Hollywood blockbusters. But beyond the stunning views lies a strange and tangled history full of wild stories, sacred beliefs, and unexplained phenomena. Here are five facts about Devils Tower that are so crazy, you’ll want to read every word.
1. The Tower That “Grew Overnight” in Native Legend
For the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Kiowa tribes, Devils Tower isn’t just a rock; it’s sacred land filled with spiritual energy. According to Kiowa legend, seven sisters were chased by giant bears, so they prayed for rescue. The Earth answered, rising beneath their feet and lifting them into the sky. The bears clawed at the rising stone, leaving deep vertical grooves still visible today.
The seven girls? They rose into the sky and became the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters.
This isn’t just a bedtime story, it’s part of a living tradition. Many tribes still return each year to hold ceremonies, leave prayer cloths, and pay respects to the spirits said to reside in the tower.
2. Aliens Made It a Hollywood Star, Then Fans Claimed It Was a Signal
When Steven Spielberg picked Devils Tower as the UFO landing site in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), he wasn’t just making art. He said the tower felt like a place where something “big” should happen—something beyond human understanding. The now-iconic scene, with flashing lights and musical notes echoing from the sky, made Devils Tower globally recognizable.
But here’s the wild part: after the film, people began reporting UFO sightings around the area. From strange lights to aircraft that vanished mid-air, believers claim Spielberg “woke something up.”
Today, UFO meetups and festivals are held at the base of the monument, where stargazers swear they’ve seen unexplained lights dart across the Wyoming sky.
3. It Might Be a Volcanic Plug, But No One’s 100% Sure
Geologists say Devils Tower may have formed over 40 million years ago, possibly as a laccolith or volcanic plug, magma that cooled underground and hardened into symmetrical hexagonal columns. The softer rock around it eventually eroded, leaving this tower standing alone like a skyscraper in a prairie.
But here’s the kicker: there’s no nearby volcanic crater. No lava fields. Nothing that confirms what exactly it came from.
Its structure is so bizarre that conspiracy theorists believe it’s a petrified tree stump, part of an ancient “forest of giants” wiped from history.
Whether it’s geology or something else, no scientific theory is 100% proven, and that’s what makes it weirdly fascinating.
4. It Was the First National Monument, Thanks to a Bear Hunt and a President’s Gut Feeling
In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act, giving himself the power to protect natural wonders. One of the very first things he did? Declare Devils Tower the first-ever U.S. national monument.
Why? After returning from a bear hunt (where he famously refused to shoot a tied-up bear, leading to the invention of the teddy bear), Roosevelt said Devils Tower had “an aura that belongs to the nation.”
The monument was protected before the National Park Service even existed, showing just how powerful its presence was, even to a tough outdoorsman like Teddy.
5. People Climb It, But Some Say It’s Cursed if You Disrespect It
Devils Tower is a world-class rock climbing destination, offering hundreds of routes for experienced climbers. But there’s controversy: Native American tribes consider it sacred ground, and they’ve asked visitors to avoid climbing in June, when many spiritual rituals take place.
Still, some climbers ignore the voluntary ban and then share strange stories afterward: sudden injuries, lost gear, or inexplicable accidents.
One chilling case involved a climber whose rope snapped near the summit, only for a second rope tied earlier (and forgotten) to stop the fall. He now calls the site “untouchable” and refuses to climb again.
Even seasoned climbers say you can feel a strange energy the moment you approach the base, an energy that demands respect.