The morning after our full day spent at Mt. Rushmore and Wind Cave National Park, we traveled through Wyoming and Montana, hitting two major attractions along the way: Devil’s Tower National Monument and Little Bighorn Battlefield. We were getting closer to our final destination of Idaho (this trip was much more than a simple vacation), but hadn’t squeezed all the fun out of our trip yet.
Devil’s Tower: Worth the Detour
None of us had ever traveled to Devil’s Tower before. I went on a family vacation out this way when I was 11, but my Dad, in his hurry to get to Yellowstone, had determined it was too far off the beaten path. I remember feeling a vague sense of disappointment, but also didn’t really know what I’d be missing.
So I had to wait another few decades before experiencing this geological wonder. And truthfully, YES, it was a little far off the path. We took the longer route, getting off at the first exit we could coming from Spearfish, SD. Although the winding road was quite scenic and peaceful, it was also LONG. I was beginning to wonder if the driving time could possibly be worth it in the end. But then again, how often do you see this?
In the end, we all loved it. We took the hike around the tower, which is what about 90% of tourists do. The hike itself was fairly easy after the initial uphill climb; perfect for families or for those with limited time. Coming from ultra-humid Virginia, we were appreciating not only the gorgeous views, but the dry air of Wyoming. In addition to the hiking, we also enjoyed watching the slightly more adventurous types attempting to scale the tower that day. All in all, it was a memorable way to spend a few hours and break up our long day of driving.
Refreshed from our hike, we were soon back in the car, heading all the way to Kalispell, MT, for the night. We had one more stop on our list, but unfortunately barely made it in time to do it justice–and that was Little Bighorn.
Little Bighorn: A Moving Memorial to History
Little Bighorn is not the national monument you want to stroll through the gates only at 4:30 p.m. We could’ve spent HOURS here, and would’ve loved to. We didn’t even make the entire five-mile driving tour before the gates closed at 5:30. But we got as much out of our visit as we could in a scant one hour.
Little Bighorn Battlefield poignantly commemorates the June 25-26, 1876, defeat of General Custer and the U. S. Army at the hands of a combined Native American force led by Crazy Horse and Chief Gall, among others.
We did not feel ready to leave at all, not having done Little Bighorn Battlefield justice for the history it holds. That just means a return trip to Big Sky Montana will be in order one day soon.
I remember visiting Little Bighorn when I was twelve. It was one of the most memorable stops of our trip from Washington State to South Dakota. Your pictures bring back some great memories.