For most first-time visitors, two to four hours is enough to stop at the prairie dog town, walk beneath the Tower, visit the small visitor center and take in the landscape without rushing.
What to expect
The park road runs roughly three miles from the entrance station to the visitor center area. Along the way, pullouts open onto the Tower, the Belle Fourche River valley and a prairie dog town. The road ends below the monument, where the main trails begin.
The paved Tower Trail circles the base for about 1.3 miles. It is the classic first walk: close views of the massive columns, boulder fields and different faces of the Tower appear as the trail moves through ponderosa pine.
Entrance basics
As of 2026, the standard seven-day entrance fees are $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle and $15 per person arriving on foot or bicycle. The park is cashless. America the Beautiful passes are accepted.
Fees, visitor-center hours, closures and conditions can change. Check the official National Park Service fees page and current conditions before leaving.
Respect the place
Devils Tower is a sacred place to many Indigenous peoples. You may see prayer cloths or bundles near trails; do not touch or photograph them. The National Park Service asks climbers to voluntarily avoid climbing during June out of respect for cultural traditions.
Make it more than a stop
If the Tower is your only plan, you can comfortably continue toward the Black Hills or I-90 the same day. But an overnight opens up a better trip: Hulett is close to the north, Sundance makes a useful southern base, and Moorcroft adds local history along the interstate.