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| Elevation: | 4,358 ft |
| GPS: | 44.59, -104.717 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
| Page Views: | 499,753 total · 2,597/month |
| Shared By: | Peter Gram on Jun 29, 2002 |
| Admins: | Peter Gram, Mike Snyder |
Access Issue: June Voluntary Climbing Closure and Seasonal Raptor Closure
Details
VOLUNTARY JUNE CLIMBING CLOSURE
The National Park Service asks that climbers choose not to climb the Tower during the month of June. The June voluntary climbing closure was selected as part of the Devils Tower Climbing Management Plan by a working group that included two climber organizations, two American Indian organizations, and other agency and local government representatives.
Climbers are strongly encouraged to consider enjoying the many other climbing options available in northeast Wyoming and the Black Hills area of South Dakota, during the month of June.
Details: nps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/…
SEASONAL RAPTOR CLOSURE (Effective March 15-July 30)
A complete and regularly updated list of closed routes can be found on the park’s website.
nps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/…
The National Park Service asks that climbers choose not to climb the Tower during the month of June. The June voluntary climbing closure was selected as part of the Devils Tower Climbing Management Plan by a working group that included two climber organizations, two American Indian organizations, and other agency and local government representatives.
Climbers are strongly encouraged to consider enjoying the many other climbing options available in northeast Wyoming and the Black Hills area of South Dakota, during the month of June.
Details: nps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/…
SEASONAL RAPTOR CLOSURE (Effective March 15-July 30)
A complete and regularly updated list of closed routes can be found on the park’s website.
nps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/…
Description
Devil's Tower crams a high concentration of great cracks into the smallest area possible. People come from around the world to climb on this unique wonder. Climbing is sustained, and cracks are beautiful and uniformly shaped. Essentially, there is a crack every 5 or 10 feet, and they mostly run perfectly up and down, which reduces rope drag. The majority of the tower is less than vertical, and faces are blank. There are few face climbs, but who needs them with all these splitter cracks?
The easiest route to the summit is Durrance, which is stout 5.6. In general, climbs that are 5.8 and under tend to be offwidths, 5.9 are hand cracks, and 5.10 are finger cracks. There is too many classics to list. However, check out Assembly Line, Walt Bailey, and Soler for 5.9. For 5.10, go to One-Way Sunset, Hollywood & Vine, and Tulgey Wood.
Many routes are best done by climbing the first few pitches and then rappeling. Fixed anchors are numerous. The rock quality is poor for the last 100 feet of the tower or so. Most parties who summit do so through the Meadows area. This is the ledgy area that is a small distance below the summit on South face of the tower. Climbs such as Durrance, Wiessner, Bon Homme, Walt Bailey, and Soler use this. From the meadows, follow a 4th class chimney and ramp system to the summit (some parties rope up).
To descend from the summit, a rap anchor is on the south side. two ropes are required. The summit part can either be rappeled or downclimbed to the meadows (easy, but exposed). Then, 3 two rope rappels are required to get down to the ground. Be careful when rappeling from the meadows -- it is very easy to get your rope hopelessly stuck in the cracks, so rap over the face.
The easiest route to the summit is Durrance, which is stout 5.6. In general, climbs that are 5.8 and under tend to be offwidths, 5.9 are hand cracks, and 5.10 are finger cracks. There is too many classics to list. However, check out Assembly Line, Walt Bailey, and Soler for 5.9. For 5.10, go to One-Way Sunset, Hollywood & Vine, and Tulgey Wood.
Many routes are best done by climbing the first few pitches and then rappeling. Fixed anchors are numerous. The rock quality is poor for the last 100 feet of the tower or so. Most parties who summit do so through the Meadows area. This is the ledgy area that is a small distance below the summit on South face of the tower. Climbs such as Durrance, Wiessner, Bon Homme, Walt Bailey, and Soler use this. From the meadows, follow a 4th class chimney and ramp system to the summit (some parties rope up).
To descend from the summit, a rap anchor is on the south side. two ropes are required. The summit part can either be rappeled or downclimbed to the meadows (easy, but exposed). Then, 3 two rope rappels are required to get down to the ground. Be careful when rappeling from the meadows -- it is very easy to get your rope hopelessly stuck in the cracks, so rap over the face.
Getting There
Drive to Sundance, Wyoming, and then take highway 24 north from I-90. Just follow the signs, and drive towards the big chunk or stone. Turn into the monument and pay the entrance fee. Then continue to the visitor's center. From here, make sure to register for the climb (this is free - used for record keeping and rescues, etc.). Then, approaches differ by route from here.
Resources
National Park Service / Devil's Tower site - Check for all the typical NPS stuff - camping, access, etc.
Devil's Tower Climbing - Great site full of useful information, and home to the Devil's Tower Lodge and Guiding service. A fantastic place to stay just minutes from the climbing. Check out their fly-by footage of the tower!
Devil's Tower Climbing - Great site full of useful information, and home to the Devil's Tower Lodge and Guiding service. A fantastic place to stay just minutes from the climbing. Check out their fly-by footage of the tower!
Classic Climbing Routes at Devil's Tower
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
Weather Averages
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Photos
58 Comments
More About Devil's Tower
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Guidebooks (2)
Fort Collins, CO
Cupertino, CA
nps.gov/deto/pphtml/newsdet…
It details exactly which climbs will be closed and gives a rough timeline. There is also a phone number you can call for more specifics. Apr 14, 2004
Boulder, CO
CO
New York, NY
Madison, Beersconsin
Rapid City, SD
on the road
Im brasilian and i am planning go to devils tower, but im alone and i looking for partners to climb there in may. Other think, is possible to camp outside the park but near the rock?
thanks Mar 13, 2008
Madison, Beersconsin
San Francisco, Ca
Thanks for any input. Jan 17, 2009
Laramie, WY
I consistently had a vastly different rack from Zach's recommendation, as well as different pitch lengths. I know, you can't expect it all to be dead on, but the least you can expect from a guidebook author is to have climbed most of the super-popular routes. May 26, 2009
Boulder, CO
Thanks. May 2, 2010
Nevada
thanks!!
jon May 7, 2010
Was Estes Park, now homeless
I hear rumor there's some good-timer up there that offers primitive spots for free, for climbers...something outside of the National Park.
True?
Anybody got the beta on this or other, free, BLM camping for bums? May 17, 2010
His website here: devilstowerlodge.com Aug 25, 2010
Gillette, WY
Redmond, OR
Madison, WI
Moab, UT
Laramie, WY
Wymont Kingdom
Laramie, WY
Wymont Kingdom
But I second your comment about not relying on Zach's beta for pitch/rap lengths. Awesome historical photos, decent beta photos, but man, as a guidebook... that thing just falls somewhat short. Nov 13, 2012
my wife and I travel as much as possible and only believe in free camping. Among our many travels we climbed at devils tower and camped for free! Exit the park and travel east along the road that is basically across the street and drive on it for 6 or so miles (15-20 mins) the road turns to dirt and mud and cows can be in the road but keep driving and eventually you will see the sign for the camping and there will be a parking spot or 3 for campers. Good luck finding it and be sure to leave no trace! Dec 29, 2012
Indian Creek
Edit: As of 7-12-2013 the closure has been lifted. All climbing routes are open. Enjoy shady afternoons once more. May 31, 2013
I'm super excited to start climbing and couldn't be more excited to being a new journey in climbing.
I'd recommend taking a guide if you're a beginner and bring lots of water. It took us about 3.5 hours to reach the summit.
Good luck!! Jul 21, 2013
Devils Tower
Thank you climbers for abiding by the closure and allowing a pair of nesting peregrine falcons to successfully fledge two chicks. Those chicks are becoming skilled aviators and are out eating pigeons daily.
There will be an official announcement sent out on Monday.
Cheers,
W. Aug 2, 2014
Broomfield
Thanks! Feb 11, 2015
Logan, UT
Utah
This year's closure is on the northeast face. Routes inbetween and including Belle Fouche Buttress to Psychic Turbulence are closed. This includes the northeast edges of the tower summit, the north face rappel, and all routes in the popular "teacher's lounge" area. The nesting falcons are being monitored and the closure will remain in place until further notice.
It is now June and climbers are asked to observe the June Voluntary Climbing Closure.
If you have any questions please contact Devils Tower Climbing Ranger Office at 307-467-5283 extention 632.
You can also visitnps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/… for more information.
Devils Tower Climbing Rangers Jun 4, 2015
Bogota
surveymonkey.com/r/VWZV3JV Jun 27, 2016
Thanks,
Jeff Jul 17, 2016
Cody, WY
Johnson City, TN
We hear this again: Why doesn't the voluntary closure work?
Bottom line: Andy Petefish commercial guide took the original ruling of the NPS to federal court circa 1996? in Casper, WY. Judge Dowes ruled that the tower can never be closed to climbing due to religious reasons -- see ruling Badoni vs Higginson
complete text:
supreme.justia.com/cases/fe…
a version from sacredland.org
sacredland.org/PDFs/Badoni_…
We had to drag their NPS asses to court before they would consider the meaning of the ruling Badoni v Higginson.
The voluntary closure does work. I decide what I want to do & when. I do not have to obey the lip service the NPS pays to 7 Indian Tribes that cannot agree on anything. The Park Service created in house the idea of a climbing closure back in 1992 as something to do for the Native Americans. It was not any form of a mandate from any of the Indian Tribes associated with Devils Tower historically or through their living representatives. It is another Park Service mess create by then Supt. Deb Ligget who could not comprehend the meaning of the 1st Amendment -- Devils Tower is not an Indian Reservation.
Seven Indian tribes that cannot agree on anything -- Danny Rosen and I guided about seven Indians from Minnesota up the Tower during the closure. These boys and girls could care less what the Sioux Indians think of climbing in June as they are still bitter enemies.
Climbing the Tower in June is no violation of the law. Nor does it constitute disrespect for Indians. It is just disrespect for a slight of hand ruling the Park Service has made.
The Tower cannot and will not be closed to climbing for any form of non compliance to the NPS voluntary ruling per Judge Dowes ruling based on Badoni v Higginson. So choose your climbing date as you please -- there will be no backlash. Again this is Federal Property open to the public. It is not an Indian Reservation.
The government is known for many bookkeeping tricks. If the NPS wants to see more compliance for the closure then move the closure from June to the period December 15 to Jan 15 of the next year. May 17, 2017
The AGREEMENT was voluntary. The action agreed to in the agreement, was to not climb.
Climbers stated, voluntarily, that "I will not climb in the month of June"
From what you have said it seems you do not know much of what went on at DETO during that part of the management plan and you are flatly wrong on how the word voluntary came about. We climbers never stated such an utterance.
There was never an agreement [like you suggest] reached with climbers and the Park administration. The admin had a list of several climbing management alternatives and said they were going with the voluntary closure, but that anyone could climb. Then they prohibited guided climbing in June and that is where Andy Petefish comes into play. I pointed out to him the case of Badoni and he then rounded up a high profile case law attorney pro bono.
Of the 804 unanimous letters against closing the tower in June to climbing[ from climbers?] during the comment period mine was number one. My letter stated that by law from the case of Badoni v. Higginson it would be illegal to close the tower to climbing for religious reasons. They tried to tell the climbing group this ruling did not apply to National Monuments and they used many other scapegoat tactics.
Up until I pointed this case law out to the Park Service we climbers had no known bargaining power against the Park Service. So to speak this case law paved our street to go where we wanted. After I firmly pointed this out to them and so did Lawyer Charley Anderson the park service dropped their one plan of a mandatory closure and inserted the word voluntary to one of their alternatives.
Petefish's attorney & case also challenged the use of the word "voluntary". Judge Dowes ruled that the Park Service could call their closure whatever they wanted but they could not ever close climbing on the Tower for religious reasons. Petefish did win the right to guide in June.
There was never any consensus among climbers for the closure as you suggest and do take note that a string of 804 letters were unanimously against the closure before any support of such a closure was penned to DETO as comment during the comment period. May 17, 2017
While at the first Management Plan Meeting the two Native American Representatives said they had no problem with climbers on the Tower during their Spiritual Quest which took place in a zoned off [to visitors and hikers] region of the NW corner of the Tower. The NPS then ask one of the members to step down and they would seek another Native American with an opposing view. They got a high profile "rabble rouser" Native American from Oklahoma to come since he would have an opposing view.
The Oklahoma native [not of the seven associated tribes] got the Pine Ridge Sioux woman to change her view and so there were now 2 Native Americans against climbing on the Tower. The NPS had created the deck they wanted -- opposing views. I grew up 40 miles from where the woman lived and did get a chance to talk with her as I felt having grown up with families she knew like the Short Bulls, Truebloods and Braves she might be willing to talk to me. She was a little shy but at best seemed luke warm to the new idea she was to go with that of closing the tower to climbing. The pace of communicating with her was slow like most tribal peoples but the pace of the Oklahoma Native was rapid as he had an agenda.
Climber Carl Coy was the Access Fund Representative and he became a turncoat against climbing interests. Bob Archbolt was the other representative from the Black Hills Climbing Coalition. He had little interest in such sittings and negotiations and maybe little skill in keeping his sights on target. With agents like these two representing our interests Charley Anderson, Paul Duval, Hollis Marriott and I became the vocal public at large against the climbing plan.
We immediately set out writing a cogent and concise flyer letter with the exact aim to get action -- namely climbers sending letters to DETO protesting the plan. We were highly successful -- 800 letters in 2 months. After achieving this success I gained a hot line to the Access Fund. They could "never achieve such a response from the Public" how did we do it? We will pay your receipt proof expenses but to save face we cannot hold your point of view was the gist.
We all agreed to the plan as the meaning of the word voluntary is to be construed as a choice of no consequences. Latter agents of Park Service would threaten us as they were not seeing climbing numbers in June vanish. Judge Dowes's ruling that the Tower would never be closed to climbing for religious reasons made the meaning of the word voluntary to be construed as a choice of no consequences.
From Donini:
It's been my experience that climbers should be proactive in building good relationships with the land managers of the public lands where climbing exists.
I ask of this: Who has the last say in land management?
To make sense of his casual statement think of it this way: The agency of land management having the final say in land management in regard to climbing is the courts. Work with them if you have to. The NPS was told early on about Badoni v Higginson but they ignored us. There is no mention of Badoni v. Higginson in the Climbing Management Plan.
Remember this: The agencies of land management can do whatever they want until taken to court. Court action is likely proof whether they comply with the law as land managers sometimes have no intention of working with you -- behind that smiling face they carry their agenda. May 17, 2017
from the Devils Tower Climbing Management Plan [CMP]
"It is within the existing authority of the monument Superintendent to close areas to certain activities to protect natural and cultural resources."
"The NPS maintains that future management actions could take place including a mandatory closure. The mandatory closure language is present to show that we are seriously committed to protecting a cultural resource and to acknowledge American Indian concerns. The NPS has the authority to implement a mandatory June closure, but hopes this will not be necessary."
What this statements from the CMP fails to note is that Supt Deb Ligget tried to use the cultural argument in the Petefish case. Judge Dowes said this case is not a cultural issue but it is a religious dispute. He told Deb Ligget to drop the subject of cultural issues.
The NPS land surrounding Devils Tower was/is for any measure devoid of any cultural artifacts[a personal talk with Dr Frisen retired head of UW Archeology & State Archeologist]. There are zero cultural artifacts on the sides or top of Devils Tower.
Edit: {Except the Stake Ladder is considered cultural as point out to me by WyoRockMan.}
The document luquitos cited is outdated and/or intentionally failed to make reference to the court case as it makes no reference to some very strict rulings the Federal Judiciary Court of Dowes imposed on Climbing/Regulations at Devils Tower. In other words the argument of cultural resource destruction has little meaning for Native Americans spiritual practices being bothered by climbers on the Tower as the court insists these are religious issues and not cultural issues.
In early court cases of religious practice interferences the courts have ruled that background effects cannot be construed as a prevention of a person to practice his religion. For example a church on a noisy street cannot close the public street on Sunday because the traffic noises interfere with the quietness they need for their religious practices.
Based on these interpretations the Native Americans or Park Service have no legal grounds to claim that climbers on the sides of Devils Tower are preventing Native Americans from practicing their religion. In other words they have to tolerate far visual infringements and noises like a jet airliner flying over head as they do not prevent them from practising their religion.
Supt Deb Ligget was also unsuccessful in initiating an argument that the Tower was the [their unique?] very monument the Native Americans needed for their religious practices and it had to be free of any other people's presence.
For more judiciary thinking on allowable infringements to one's religious practices see Badoni v. Higginson and some other cases have good discussions on this matter.
It looks like when you practise your religion you cannot have it such that when you look out a window there can be no one in the view. But you do have the freedom to build your church without windows. May 17, 2017
May 18, 2017 - 05:57am PT
luquitos,
Thanks for the update on cultural artifacts in and around DETO.
Again, the Dowes court that set the framework of this settlement argument has said this is a religious dispute and not the NPS's CMP case of cultural infringement. All the cultural artifacts mean nothing for this case. For the purpose of religious practices on Federal property other than Indian Reservations all parties have equal access and they are subject to noises and visual impacts of other parties doing whatever practices on this property.
Without a doubt climbers have been singled out on the issue of infringement because they were the lowest hanging fruit. de facto: The Park Service decides to have a climbing Management Plan and not a Tourist Management Plan. But, so be it. The type of action like climbers on the side of Tower by all court cases of infringement of religious practices have sighted with sustaining the distant action.
Supt Deb Liggett tried to advance the argument that Devils Tower was the Native Americans Temple but the Dowes Court did not buy this argument as having in any power in the decision of the case. Dr. Frisen assured me there were no such artifacts on the NPS Devils Tower Grounds to construe that Devils Tower was such a temple if you will.
Within Federal Public Lands we are all bound to the makings of the US Constitution and it's case law. Why do the seemingly uniformed Devils Tower NPS agents try to make us climbers do? [Volunteering is ok] something other than what the law permits them to do. We do not see this kind of pseudo regulatory action happening at Rainbow Bridge National Monument where the case of Badoni v. Higginson arose. I use the adjective pseudo here to mean threats of closure that have no grounds.
The number of climbers since 1994 has risen dramatically. How about normalizing your data for this effect?
c wilmont,
I find the European mentality of needing artifacts in order to confer cultural/spiritual importance to a certain place odd.
Perhaps the natives had a different mindset?
Would you leave trash at a place of spiritual importance to you?
Interesting debate going on
This country is not a country of Europe. The jump to Plymouth Rock had its reasons.
The Native Americans using Devils Tower Lands for a Spiritual Gathering have left many items we white boys consider trash.
to wit: one car engine, car batteries, beer cans, eating utensils, clothing, electronic devices, mattresses, blankets, food, dead animals and other garbage that the maintenance division of DETO cleaned up. Is the Spiritual Practice at DETO a car cleaning ritual?
But having grown up very close to Pine Ridge, South Dakota this dumping action of Native Americans comes as no surprise.
And there you have it: Trash is the evidence of a temple. May 18, 2017
Devils Tower, WY
nps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/…
The previously closed area on the N. side has been re-opened with the exception of Belle Fourche Buttress. Routes will re-open when the park biologists determine that the falcon chicks have successfully fledged. May 27, 2017
Devils Tower, WY
mountainproject.com/forum/t…
and
supertopo.com/climbers-foru…
Devils Tower Climbing Management Plan:
nps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/…
For questions, beta, and up to date information on Devils Tower climbing information feel free to call the climbing ranger office at (307)467-5283 ext. 632. May 27, 2017
Devils Tower, WY
- The climbing rangers Aug 2, 2017
Cambridge, MA
With notes on the 50th anniversary of the Sturgis Rally (Harley hogs). Mar 29, 2018