Devil’s Tower KOA. We were coming off a frustrating day getting nowhere fast in Yellowstone National Park. After seeing little because we were stuck in traffic all day long, we were denied accommodations until we reached Cody, Wyoming. Arriving at 10:00pm doesn’t really allow you to take advantage of all that your $170 hotel room has to offer…
So, when we got to the Devil’s Tower KOA (Kampgrounds of America) the following day, having an uncrowded campsite with an amazing view and reasonable price was a welcome treat.
We weren’t exactly early getting there but we still had daylight. The road from Cody was full of unexpected pleasant delays. There was the airplane graveyard (formerly museum) in Greybull, WY. The 9,666 feet Powder River Pass was a treat. A late lunch in the ‘old west’ town of Buffalo, WY at the historic Occidental Hotel was another treat.
Devil’s Tower KOA
The KOA, is focused on their RV sites but the tenting area was large and uncluttered. There are also cute one room cabins that can be had for not much more money than a tenting site. The tenters and cabin folk actually get the better view, directly beside the Belle Fourche River and it’s beautiful red rocks. Oh, and the ever-present view of the Devil’s Tower was kind of a feature…
Why KOA and not a site within the National Park next door? KOA has the reality show ‘Undercover Boss’ to thank. I last stayed at a KOA when I was a kid, probably 30+ years ago. My family liked them. There was always a pool, games room, restaurant and plenty of activities. An episode of the show reminded me of that.
The image below was taken from our campsite in the evening, just after a nasty wind/thunder storm came through. The storm turned over a few tents and almost took ours for a ride. The red rocks signify the opposite banks of the Belle Fourche River.
For more info and to book a site: DT KOA Official Website.
The campground has a heated pool, playground, gift shop and restaurant. The entrance to the Devil’s Tower National Monument is just a few feet from the restaurant patio. It’s close enough to see the massive lineup of vehicles waiting to enter.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Of course, this site is featured in the 1977 Spielberg film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The campground honours this by playing the movie each and every night. The movie is played on a big screen television just outside the restaurant.
Unfortunately, we only got halfway through the movie before another storm rolled through. I was disappointed. I had seen CE3K when it was first in the theaters and had obviously forgotten all but the main parts of the movie. It was almost like seeing it for the first time.
The above image is a bit more zoomed in from the campground. Although it is not uncommon for climbers to be on the tower at any point in time, I was sure that there was no one up there at the time. I was wrong.
When I got home, I enlarged the image and zoomed in to try and find anything of interest. In fact, I did find two climbers. At our other site, I’ve posted the zoomed in images. Check it out here: Devil’s Tower climbers.
Devil’s Tower National Monument
Devil’s Tower stands 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River and 5,112 feet above sea level. Located in the Black Hills region of Wyoming, it was first climbed by ‘white men’ in 1893 and was declared a national monument in 1906.
For day-use, a seven day pass is $10 while an annual pass is just $20. The Belle Fourche River campground has 50 unserviced sites that go for just $12 per night.
Above is the aftermath of our evening storm, just after it had calmed enough that we didn’t have to hold down the tent. Below is the early morning lineup as vehicles wait to enter the national park. The Devil’s Tower KOA restaurant patio is to the right. The cabin just behind that is the entrance to the national monument. The line of traffic stretches far to the left.
Below is a view of the Devil’s Tower a few miles up the road, on our way out. We were heading to Mount Rushmore, via the town of Deadwood. Mt. Rushmore was a return to the overwhelming crowds similar to Yellowstone. The 95 degree heat didn’t help one bit…
