The drive from SD to our next over-night camp was only a few hours so we took the opportunity to make a side trip off of I-90W to hike around devil's Tower national Monument. The drive through the short distance into WY was nice but the drive up to the monument on highways 14 & 24 was very scenic. The tower is over 860 feet from its base and has 1.5 acre top covered in sagebrush and grass. It was formed when lots of sedimentary layers eroded from around a volcanic intrusion that had cooled in a tear-drop formation. Climbing the tower is permitted as you can see if you enlarge the cover photo. There was a group of several people climbing the tower that day. Just watching them the short time, made me shiver at the thought of one falling. It is an easy hike and can be done in about two hours.

After experiencing the tower and reading about it's religious significance to the American Indians, it holds a greater memory other than where "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" was filmed.

Now on to Sheridan, WY with a stop at Battle of Little Bighorn national Park in MT.