Devils Tower rises out of the rolling hills of north-east Wyoming like a giant tree stump made of stone. Its sides are split into tall columns, and the gaps between those columns are what bring climbers here. The National Park Service calls it one of the finest traditional crack climbing areas in North America. It is also a sacred site for many American Indian tribes, and that shapes how climbing works at the monument.
What the climbing is like
According to the Park Service, hundreds of parallel cracks divide the Tower into large hexagonal columns. Some cracks are wide enough to fit your whole body, others barely take your fingers, and the longest runs nearly 400 feet upward. Technical ratings range from 5.7 to 5.13.
Expect gear, not bolts. Most routes are not bolt protected and need camming devices or other removable protection. The few bolted face climbs date from the 1980s and 1990s, and the park notes that the condition of some bolts reflects that era. The oldest routes, the Durrance and the Wiessner, are often considered harder than their original grades by modern climbers, so do not treat an old rating as an easy day.
Registration is the law
Before you climb, register at the climbing kiosk at the head of the Tower Trail, by the visitor center parking area. You fill in the left side of a card and keep the right side to drop off when you finish. Registration is free, and the Park Service says it is a legal requirement for anyone planning to climb or scramble above the boulder field. Skipping it can bring a citation and a fine.
The cards feed a climbing record the park has kept since 1937, and they let rangers know who is on the rock if something goes wrong.
Park rules on the rock
- Do not leave gear on the Tower, including ropes, cams and stoppers.
- No camping or bivouacking on the Tower. Use the designated campground.
- Pets are not allowed on the Tower or the trails.
- Chipping or gluing holds, gardening, heavy route cleaning, drilling and installing permanent gear are prohibited.
- Pack out human waste. Supplies are sold at the visitor center bookstore.
Climbing rangers usually work from late spring to early fall, and the climbing office can be reached at (307) 467-5283 extension 632.
The voluntary June closure
American Indian people regarded the Tower as sacred long before climbers arrived, and some see recreational climbing on it as a desecration. The park’s Climbing Management Plan, released in February 1995 and updated in 2006, includes a June Voluntary Climbing Closure. It came out of a workgroup that brought together climbers and American Indian representatives.
June is a culturally significant month, when many ceremonies take place. The closure is voluntary, but the Park Service says it has led to a large drop in the number of climbers during June. In practice, plan your trip for another month and use June, if you are in the area, for the trails around the base.
Spring falcon closures
Each spring, some routes close temporarily to protect nesting prairie and peregrine falcons. They reopen once there is no more nesting activity or the young have fledged. Check the closures when you register, or on the park’s current closure page before you drive out.
Where accidents happen
The park is direct about this: most climbing accidents and deaths on the Tower happen during the rappel. The Park Service does not maintain anchors, so inspect every anchor and back it up if needed. Some practical points from the park:
- Know where your rappel route is before you start down.
- Start rappels over the nose of a column so the rope does not jam in a crack.
- Many rappels need two ropes, so know the length of each one before you commit.
- Helmets are strongly recommended because rockfall is frequent.
Heat and storms
Summer is not the easy season it looks like. The rock can reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on hot days, and storms build fast over the Black Hills, bringing lightning, rain, hail and the risk of hypothermia. Start early, watch the sky and give yourself a way down before the afternoon.
Stinging insects, birds, rodents and reptiles also live on the Tower, so look before you put a hand in a crack.
Planning the trip
- Bring a full rack of cams. Routes are long and sustained, and guidebooks disagree on gear, so compare several sources.
- Park in the lower gravel lot of the visitor center if you will be out all day. It has more shade and leaves the paved lot for short visits.
- Stay on the established approach trails at the base to protect soils and plants.
More climbing on this site
If you want rock with another texture, rock climbing in Joshua Tree mixes cracks and slabs on desert granite, and bouldering at Hueco Tanks shows another place where climbing lives alongside cultural heritage. If you are driving on through Wyoming, our guide to seeing moose in Yellowstone covers the next big park to the west.
Rules, closures and the full text of the climbing plan are on the National Park Service Devils Tower climbing page.