One afternoon, as two little girls were playing outside, a giant bear approached. His intention was clear: the girls would be his lunch. Having sensed the danger, the girls climbed onto nearby rocks to get away from the bear. But, a Great Spirit noticed, the rocks were not tall enough. The bear was going to reach them. Wanting to help the two young girls, the Great Spirit willed the rock to grow taller and taller until the bear could not reach them. The bear jumped and clawed the rocks, determined to climb to the top. But the height of the rock was too great and so the bear eventually gave up. The girls would remain on top of the rock forever. Or so Crow legend says.
We made it to Wyoming!
After leaving Wind Cave National Park, we ventured westward into Wyoming. Our first stop was the Devils Tower Monument. There are many different theories and stories as to how the tower came to be. The above is told by the Crow tribe, but you can find variations told by many other tribes and early explorers of the area. The tower actually got it’s name due to a bad translation on the part of explorers. Though the natives called the rock formation Mato Tiplia, which roughly translates to ‘Bear Lodge’, the explorers reported the name to mean ‘bad gods tower’. This was later adapted into the name Devils Tower.
We decided to visit the first national monument in the US, pronounced as such by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, because…well…it’s the first national monument in the US. We learned a lot about the history of the monument and read many of the stories surrounding it. It is actually a cool place to stop if you’re driving from SD to WY.
If you’re up for a hike, start with the 1.3 mile Tower Trail. This trail circles the base of the tower giving you a 360 degree view. The trail is easy to moderate with a few slight inclines along the way, but there are plenty of places to sit along the paved path if you need to take a break. Along the trail, you will see multi-colored cloths tied to trees. These are prayer cloths, placed here by local tribes. If you have more time, you can also check out the Joyner Ridge Trail (1.5 miles) or Red Beds Trail (2.8 miles).
If you are so inclined (we were not), you can also obtain a permit to climb the tower. Make sure to plan in advance because the tower is closed to climbers certain times of year for falcon nesting and Native American culture and values.
Cost: $25 per car
If you’re a 90’s kid, you likely remember The Oregon Trail. We decided to take the slight detour on our way to Grand Teton NP to stop at Independence Rock. It is actually a rest stop along route 220 and is free to visit. It is approximately 4 hours from Devils Tower, and not far from our hotel. We actually stopped for the night in Casper, WY (which we hit before IR) so we did not visit these two locales on the same day. But it is totally possible depending on where you stay for the night.
There is a path that loops around the entirely of the giant rock (and it is GIANT), but it can get overgrown. We didn’t attempt to walk the entire thing because we saw a snake in the tall grass and signs on the way in warning us about rattlesnakes… so, yeah. If you look close, you will see names carved into the rock. It is said that early explorers of the area carved their names into the stone, which served as a… well… rest stop… as they made their way through the West. We found a few names we recognized and snapped a few photos before jumping back on the highway.
Where We Stayed: The C’Mon Inn, Casper, WY
We decided to spend the night in Casper as it was about halfway to our next destination, Grand Teton National Park. This hotel was one of our favorites. They had multiple ponds and jacuzzies in the center of the hotel, along with trees and other greenery. Each room also had it’s own little patio to take in the views. The continental breakfast was good and the service was great. Honestly, we picked this place because of the name. But we are glad we did.
Where to Eat/Drink: Wyoming Ale House (Casper, WY), Cowboy CafƩ (Dubois, WY)
Wyoming Ale House was near the C’Mon Inn and had really good reviews, so we decided to give it a shot. It was busy, but we were able to get a table right away. The restaurant is a pretty large sports bar/restaurant similar to an Applebee’s, but better. The menu had an eclectic mix of food and lots of local beers. We shared a hummus plate that had veggies and pita points. Courtney had a small side salad that was very fresh and tasty, and a Bison burger that was very flavorful with lots of cheese. She also had a Cowboy State Brewing Gold local beer that was really crisp and refreshing. Mallory had a steak salad that had southwest flair with mixed greens. Also yummy. (Can we still say yummy without it being weird or has Justin Bieber ruined it forever?)
We stopped at the Cowboy CafĆ© on our way to the Grand Tetons. When you are traveling through this part of the country, you can go for long stretches of time without seeing anything at all and then suddenly you find a small town no bigger than a wide spot in the road. This was what we saw of Dubois. What was surprising to us was how many hidden gems are in these towns. The Cowboy CafĆ© had a friendly staff and a great atmosphere. Courtney had a delicious southwest chicken sandwich and Mallory had a chipotle patty melt, both with sweet potato fries. It also had a wide variety of pies, but we were so stuffed from our lunch that we didn’t have room. This is a great place to stop though if you are traveling the same route.
Check out our other blog posts from this trip below!
The Ultimate Mid/Northwest Road Trip Through SD, WY, MT
Packing for a National Park Road Trip – SD, WY, MT
Sioux Falls, SD + The Corn Palace
Our McTravels 
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