Little Bighorn Battlefield NM
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument preserves the site of, and honors the combatants in, the battle of the US Army’s 7th Cavalry led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer against the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho on June 25 and 26, 1876. The battle was part of the Great Sioux War of 1876 and resulted in the defeat of the 7th Cavalry.
Our short stop at Little Bighorn was part of our trip from Billings, where we spent the night, to Rapid City, South Dakota. We visited Little Bighorn Battlefield in the morning, Devils Tower in the early afternoon, and reached Rapid City in the early evening.
Devils Tower NM
Devils Tower sits 90 minutes northwest of Rapid City, South Dakota. It is a short detour north of I-90 on a road trip between Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park. It is also an easy day trip from the Rapid City, South Dakota area where you can enjoy several other national parks and monuments beyond Mount Rushmore.
Devils Tower is 867 feet from its base to the summit. It formed from magma, also known as molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface. The surrounding area consisted of sedimentary rock layers which eroded over time, although geologists cannot agree as to the precise formation theory. One of Devils Tower’s notable features is its columnar jointing – it is considered the largest examples of this geological feature.
Devils Tower was the first national monument, declared by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. At the time, 1153 acres was set aside under the Antiquities Act of 1906, which was signed by Congress and President Roosevelt about three months prior to authorize the President to set aside objects and structures of historical and scientific interest as national monuments. President Roosevelt’s declaration noted the geological significance of the Tower. Devils Tower has also been recognied as an area of cultural significance for American Indians, recreational climbing, and a community of forty acres of prairie dogs.
Peregrine Falcons also nest on select ledges that are within the top one-third of the summit of Devils Tower. The peregrine falcon was listed in 1970 as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969 and was removed from the list in 1999. Nevertheless, there is a rock climbing closure at certain points in order to protect falcon nests.
There appeared to be a few souvenir shops outside of the entrance to the national monument, such as the Devils Tower Trading Post. They offer souvenirs, ice cream, snacks, beverages and free wifi.
Our detour to Devils Tower was part of our trip from Billings, where we spent the night, to Rapid City, South Dakota. We visited Little Bighorn Battlefield in the morning, Devils Tower in the early afternoon, and reached Rapid City in the early evening.
