No more after hours at Devils Tower National Monument
DEVILS TOWER, Wyoming (KIFI) - Devils Tower National Monument, a significant landmark in Wyoming and a staple of the National Park Service (NPS), is implementing a major change in its operating hours. Starting Thursday, March 13, 2025, the monument will no longer be open to visitors after hours.
The new hours of operation will be from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This announcement was made by the NPS on the Devils Tower National Monument's Facebook page on Monday.
Devils Tower is often considered an essential stop for travelers as they make their way through the northeast corner of Wyoming toward Yellowstone's northeast entrance.
The public response to the major shift has been largely negative.
In an interview with Cowboy State Daily, Wyoming state Senator Ogden Driskill called the change “stupidity at its highest level.”
Driskill's family has lived at the base of the tower for generations. He says the only times he's seen Devils Tower closed was during government shutdowns. Even then, all NPS did was put barricades at the entrance.
“There's absolutely no way they could justify it. Devils Tower has a proven track record of being open overnight with no employees around. They don’t have law enforcement 24/7, and Crook County law enforcement usually responds to any emergencies, which in my 60 years of experience, are very minimal," Driskill told Cowboy State Daily.
In response to the online questions backlash, the NPS clarified hours of operations 2 hours after their initial post.
"Just to clarify, the park will no longer be open 24 hours a day. Visitors will be allowed in the park from 7 am to 5 pm. The park will be closed at night from 5 pm to 7 am. Visitor center hours will remain the same from 9 am to 5 pm," NPS wrote in a post to the Devils Tower National Monument's Facebook page.
