Photo: National Park Service
White-tailed deer
Watch woodland edges and tall grass. Their raised white tail is a familiar signal as they move away. Deer live in the monument year-round.
The 4 Spear field guide
Wild places.
Remarkable stories.
Get to know the wildlife, landscapes and living history of Hulett, Devils Tower and the northeastern Wyoming Black Hills.
Bring your binoculars, leave room for a museum stop, and take a little time to look closer.
Keep your eyes open
Who shares these wide-open spaces?
A few of the animals you may spot around Devils Tower and the surrounding countryside. Wildlife moves freely, so sightings are never guaranteed.
Photo: National Park Service
Mule deer
Look for large ears and a black-tipped tail. These deer also inhabit the monument throughout the year.
Photo: National Park Service
Prairie dogs
The monument's prairie dog town is a favorite stop for observing these busy, social animals. Enjoy their activity from a respectful distance.
Species photo: NPS, Capulin Volcano National Monument
Pronghorn
Scan open country along regional drives. Often called antelope, pronghorn are more likely in surrounding grasslands than inside the monument.
Photo: National Park Service
Wild turkeys & birds
Turkeys, hawks, eagles, woodpeckers and songbirds add life to the forest and river corridor. The park records more than 160 bird species.
Photo: National Park Service
Red foxes & elusive neighbors
Foxes, coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions inhabit the area but usually avoid people. You may hear coyotes more often than you see them.
There is more to discover
Elk live throughout the Black Hills but are rarely seen inside Devils Tower National Monument. Rabbits, squirrels, bats and other small mammals also make their homes here. Bison seen near the Tower belong to local ranch herds; there is no wild bison herd in the monument.
Explore the NPS mammal guide · See the complete park bird list
Watch quietly. Give wildlife room.
Use binoculars or a zoom lens. Never feed, approach, touch or pursue wildlife. Keep food and trash secured, follow posted park rules, and keep pets under control. If an animal changes its behavior because of you, move farther away. Stop only where it is safe and legal; respect ranch fences and private land.
Devils Tower · Bear Lodge
A landmark with a living history.
Long before the monument
The Tower is sacred to many Indigenous nations, including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Crow, Arapaho, Kiowa and Shoshone. Bear Lodge is one of its traditional names. These connections continue through ceremonies and prayer today.
Prayer cloths and bundles are religious offerings. Please leave them undisturbed and do not photograph them.
America's first national monument
On September 24, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt designated Devils Tower as the country's first national monument. Its striking columns and surrounding landscape remain a place for learning, reflection and exploration.
The Tower later became familiar to movie audiences through the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Learn more: Indigenous connections · National Park Service history
Hulett, Wyoming
A small town with deep roots.
Set along the Belle Fourche River, Hulett grew from the region's late-1800s settlement era. The Hulett Chamber of Commerce dates the town's establishment to 1896 and traces its name to Louis Hulett, whose family arrived in 1881.
Make time for the Hulett Museum & Art Gallery, where fossils, regional artifacts, homesteading stories and local art offer a closer look at northeastern Wyoming.
Today's Hulett mixes that heritage with rodeo weekends, summer travelers and the motorcycles that roll through during rally season.
Make a day of it.
Pair wildlife watching and a Tower visit with lunch in Hulett, a museum stop or a local rodeo.
Explore things to doView local eventsWildlife information: National Park Service, Devils Tower National Monument. Animal photographs are NPS source images; the pronghorn image is a species illustration photographed at Capulin Volcano. No claim to original U.S. Government works. Landscape photographs: 4 Spear hosts. Wildlife sightings and access vary by season.