Day 9 Overview

I depart camp from Douglas KOA in Douglas, Wyoming and roll north on Wyoming Highway 59, stopping in Wright, Wyoming for a quick gourmet lunch of Chef Boyardee canned spaghetti and meatballs with Tabasco Sauce and water, pretty fancy! 

After lunch, I continued northbound on WY Highay 59 to Gillette, Wyoming and then head east on Wyoming Highway 51 to US Highway 14 East and finally northbound onto Wyoming Highway 24 to Devils Tower, Wyoming.

Total miles for today = 178 Miles, so a low mile’s day that allowed for some relaxed riding and plenty of time to set up camp and hike around Devils Tower.

The weather today was excellent for riding and exploring Devils Tower.  Shortly after returning to camp, a thunderstorm rolled through with a heavy downpour.  I thought to myself, well good that the thunderstorm rolled through now, thinking it would be clear for the rest of the night.  However, that assumption proved to be incorrect, as within an hour or so, it started pouring and did so for the remainder of the night.  I stayed dry and comfortable in my tent, but using the restroom that night was quite unpleasant, trudging through deep puddles of water in the pouring rain.

Devils Tower

Devils Tower rises dramatically from the rolling plains of northeastern Wyoming, an immense natural monolith that looks less like a mountain and more like the Earth forgot to put the lid back on.

Formed around 50 million years ago, the tower is the exposed core of an ancient volcanic system, composed of striking vertical columns of igneous rock that resemble massive stone organ pipes stacked side by side.

It towers 867 feet above the surrounding landscape, making it visible from miles away and giving it an almost otherworldly presence—an impression only reinforced by its starring role in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Long before Hollywood arrived, however, Devils Tower held deep spiritual significance for many Native American tribes, including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Crow, who regard it as a sacred place tied to creation stories and cultural traditions.

 Today, Devils Tower National Monument, the first national monument designated in the United States in 1906, draws climbers, hikers, photographers, and curious travelers alike. Visitors can walk the Tower Trail that circles the base, watch prairie dogs chirp in the surrounding grasslands, and marvel at how something so massive can feel both timeless and slightly mysterious—like it knows secrets it’s not ready to share just yet.

Photos From Today