Excursion Study Guide

  HISTORICITY

Devils Tower National Monument is located in the northeastern sector of Wyoming. The vertical column looms 1,267 abrupt feet above its base. The spectacular monolith—along with 1,300-plus surrounding acres of boulder fields, peaceful pines, rolling hills, and prairie grasslands—was designated America's first national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. When the proclamation was published, the apostrophe in "Devil's" was inadvertently omitted. The clerical error was never officially corrected.

According to the most accepted scientific theory, Devils Tower is the exposed remnant of a large igneous mass that once looked like just a big rounded bulge of earth. It was created about 65 million years ago when extreme pressures within the earth's core forced the intrusion of molten magma into existing sedimentary rock layers (such a formation is known as a "laccolith" by geologists). Millions of years of erosion from weather and the adjacent Belle Fourche River stripped away the dome's softer layers of rock, thus revealing the steep-walled edifice of today. Piles of stone rubble around its base are evidence that Devils Tower is still subject to nature's ways. Rock pieces often break loose and tumble downward; occasionally entire columns of stone weaken and collapse.

For many area Indians, Devils Tower holds sacred meaning. The Arapahos, Cheyennes, Crows, Kiowas, Sioux and other tribes all have their special legends, passed from generation to generation, regarding the rocky sentinel. In light of this, the Department of Interior recently considered designating the land as Bear Lodge National Historic Landmark (while the site itself would have remained known as Devils Tower National Monument), but the idea was dropped.

Devils Tower is constantly accessible to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. The visitor center is open from early April through late November. Naturally, its summer hours are more liberal than during spring and fall. Visitors can see climbing demonstrations, listen to a 20-minute interpretive talk, partake in a one-hour guided walk over some of the seven miles of nearby trails, and attend an evening program in the amphitheatre. Campground and picnic areas also operate seasonally. Travelers approaching Devils Tower via Interstate 90 should exit onto U.S. Highway 14 (westbound vehicles at Sundance; eastbound traffic at Moorcroft). Devils Tower is a half-hour drive from both towns. Over 450,000 people visit annually.

  DATA

This activity comprises the third and last leg of the Little Bighorn Battlefield excursion. Most of the day is spent outdoors, so coats and hats may be necessary; since there will be a good amount of walking, comfortable footwear is important. The paved 1.3-mile Tower Trail circumscribes the immediate base of Devils Tower. After an initial incline, the pathway levels out. Several wayside placards provide walkers with brief rests while learning some of the Devils Tower story at the same time. Students should pay close attention to appropriate guidelines for visitors. Completion of this study guide is optional. Students who answer all questions correctly will receive 25 general bonus points. Please click here for a thorough description of Devils Tower.

  QUESTIONS

  1. All of the following statements about Devils Tower National Monument are true except:
    1. the summit of Devils Tower rises some 1,250-plus feet above its base
    2. Devils Tower is administered by the National Park Service
    3. the Belle Fourche River meanders aside Devils Tower
    4. with the exception of prairie dogs, the area surrounding Devils Tower is oddly devoid of wildlife

  2. The roughhewn log structure that today serves as the visitor center at Devils Tower was built during the Great Depression by the:
    1. National Youth Administration
    2. Tennessee Valley Authority
    3. Civilian Conservation Corps
    4. Works Progress Administration

  3. All of the following Native American references to Devils Tower are correct except:
    1. Woox-Nii-Non = "Bear's Tipi" (Arapaho)
    2. Mato Tipila = "Bear Lodge" (Sioux)
    3. Daxpitche'e Awaasuua = "Bear's House" (Crow)
    4. Na Kovea = "Bear Den" (Kiowa)

  4. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt bestowed national monument status upon Devils Tower (America's first such designation) under authority of the:
    1. American Antiquities Act
    2. Hepburn Act
    3. Muir-Pinchot Act
    4. Newlands Reclamation Act

  5. Coincidentally, the first U.S. national park, as well, is located in Wyoming. In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant established __________ National Park.
    1. Grand Teton
    2. Yellowstone
    3. Glacier
    4. Wind Cave

  6. All of the following geological terminology accurately describe Devils Tower at some point throughout its 65 million years of formation except:
    1. "molten magma"
    2. "sedimentary rock"
    3. "laccolith"
    4. "igneous intrusion"

  7. Devils Tower was named by:
    1. Colonel Richard Dodge, who commanded the military escort for a scientific reconnaissance of the western Black Hills in 1875
    2. area Indians, though it is uncertain exactly which tribe first affixed the name to the unusual giant rock
    3. the U.S. Government Geological Survey office in 1906
    4. renowned artist Frederic Remington, whose 1910 painting of the unique stone sentinel was entitled The Devil's Prairie Tower

  8. All of the following small Wyoming towns are within a half-hour drive of Devils Tower except:
    1. Aladdin
    2. Hulett
    3. Newcastle
    4. Sundance

  9. The first known human ascent of Devils Tower, on July 4, 1893, by William Rogers and Willard Ripley, was accomplished using an ingenious:
    1. ladder
    2. balloon
    3. rocket
    4. pulley

  10. All of the following are walking trails at Devils Tower except:
    1. Valley View Trail
    2. Joyner Ridge Trail
    3. Red Beds Trail
    4. Soft Moccasin Trail

  11. The animal most associated with various Indian legends regarding Devils Tower is the:
    1. eagle
    2. buffalo
    3. antelope
    4. bear

  12. All of the following wildflowers can be seen in bloom during early spring (assuming average temperatures and precipitation) along the Devils Tower hiking trails except:
    1. wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota)
    2. pasque flower (Anemone patens)
    3. biscuitroot (Lomatium foeniculaceum)
    4. oregon grape (Mahonia repens)

  13. The only President to have once served as a park ranger is:
    1. John Tyler at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee)
    2. Theodore Roosevelt at Acadia National Park (Maine)
    3. Gerald Ford at Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)
    4. Bill Clinton at Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

  14. Easily visible along the trails around Devils Tower are Native American prayer bundles—colorful fabric satchels which may contain an array of meaningful items depending on ritual and custom. The parcels reflect the area's sacred stature to various Indian tribes and therefore should not be disturbed. Which one of the following items would least likely be wrapped in a prayer bundle?
    1. tobacco
    2. sweetgrass
    3. feather
    4. marble

  15. Devils Tower was prominently featured in the movie:
    1. Cheyenne Autumn
    2. Son of the Morning Star
    3. Dances With Wolves
    4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

  16. Which one of the following Presidents doubled the acreage of the National Park System?
    1. Thomas Jefferson
    2. Calvin Coolidge
    3. Dwight Eisenhower
    4. Jimmy Carter