Devils Tower Loop - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 347

if possible, to visit in the morning or in the evening, when the effects of light are at their
best—and the crowds are at a minimum. The weather, too, can add to the drama, as low
cloudsshroudthecrestinveilsofmist,orsnowduststhecracksbetweenthecolumns,dec-
orating the tower with streaks of white.
TheloomingbulkofDevilsToweralsomakesitameccaforrockclimbers,whoregard
it as a first-class challenge. Initially scaled in 1893, the tower now offers some 200 estab-
lished climbing routes. A map in the visitor center shows the many paths that have been
takentothetop.Bringbinocularsandyoucanwatchteamsofclimbersslowlymakingtheir
way to the 1 1/2-acre, flat-topped crest.
Formoredown-to-earthentertainment, pausenearthenationalmonument'sentranceto
view the resident prairie dog colony. Sociable creatures, their playful antics never fail to
delight.
6. Keyhole State Park and Reservoir
LeavingDevilsTower,continueonRte.24toDevilsTowerJunction,wherethedriveveers
southwest on Rte. 14 toward Keyhole Reservoir. Formed when a dam was built across the
Belle Fourche, the lake is nestled among rolling slopes covered with sagebrush, pines, and
shrubs.
Moorcroft, just to the southwest, was once a major livestock shipping center. There the
gentle hillsandpineforestsfinally disappear,andthelandflattens intothesweeping plains
of a vast basin spotted with sagebrush.