Photo by Jeff Vangua
Head to Sundance, Wyoming, where President Theodore Roosevelt established Devils Tower as America’s first national monument in 1906.
Devils Tower is a former volcanic neck that rises 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River. Climbers test their skills on its vertical rock walls, while visitors delight in the beauty of the area and enjoy interpretive and outdoor recreational activities at the monument.
The Yellowstone Highway, west of Cody, features some of the most unusual volcanic rock formations in northwestern Wyoming. The Holy City, Ford Rock and Devil’s Backbone are the names of just a few of the sinister- looking outcroppings visitors will see.
Inside Yellowstone Park, enjoy views of the Hoodoos, located just below and east of Terrace Mountain in the northwest region of the park. These strange rock formations are a sight to be seen.
Boar’s Tusk, in the Red Desert north of Rock Springs, is the neck of an ancient volcano. Rising up from the Killpecker Creek valley, Boar’s Tusk is a striking sight.
Vibrant-hued Plume Rock, near Rock Springs, is a dramatic monolith that juts from the desert fl oor. Located adjacent to the Oregon Trail, pioneers used Plume Rock as a landmark on their journey West.
Parts of U.S. Highways 14, 16 and 20 are known as the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, which follows the North Fork of the Shoshone River through the scenic East Yellowstone Valley (Wapiti Valley) to the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The route is known for its astonishing rock formations, as well as its abundant wildlife and recreational opportunities.
Vedauwoo is located 17 miles east of Laramie in the Medicine Bow National Forest. Vedauwoo offers a wide variety of trails and rock climbing for recreational enthusiasts. Other activities in Vendauwoo and Curt Gowdy State Park include birdwatching, picnicking, biking, camping, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Split Rock, near the town of Jeffrey City in central Wyoming, can be seen as a cleft in the top of Rattlesnake Range. This was an important landmark for early explorers, since it can be seen up to a full day’s journey from the east, and for two days from the west.
In Idaho, visit City of Rocks, 45 minutes south of Burley on Elba Almo Road, off Idaho Highway 77. It’s a landscape of granite columns—some 60-stories tall— that loom over a 500-acre valley. You can still see inscriptions written in axle grease by pioneers traveling the California Trail.
At Massacre Rocks State Park, near American Falls, high cliffs tower over remnants of the Oregon Trail. Fortunately, no massacre ever occurred here.
Craters of the Moon National Monument, near Arco, is an 83-square-mile attraction with a stunning array of volcanic features.
In eastern Montana, you’ll find a variety of interesting rock formations at Makoshika State Park, including caprocks, spires and hoodoos.
