Best Things to Do at Devils Tower With Kids

Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming is one of my favorite national monuments in the country.

My husband and I fell in love with Devils Tower in 2016, before we had kids. Nearly a decade later, we brought our three kids back, and they fell in love with it too.

The indigenous legends behind the tower and the stunning scenery make this a must-see with kids. Plus, the prairie dogs are adorable!

I highly recommend adding it to your itinerary for visiting the Black Hills with kids!

Here are my favorite things to do at Devils Tower with kids.

Learn the legends of Devils Tower, or Bear’s Lodge

Many indigenous nations of the Black Hills and Great Plains consider the tower a place of reverence.

The nations have sacred narratives about the creation of Devils Tower, which many call Bear’s Lodge or Bear’s Tipi.

Before you visit Devils Tower with kids, read the oral histories on the park website. The stories are all different, though many include a giant bear chasing people to the top of the tower, with the bear’s claws carving the grooves we see today.

My oldest still automatically calls Devils Tower “Bears Lodge,” which I love!

When you visit the tower, look for small pieces of colorful cloth or bundles tied to the surrounding trees. They are small offerings, reflections, remembrances, or other personal connections to the space. Don’t touch them.

Walk the Tower Trail (1.8 miles, easy)

The Tower Trail is a 1.3-mile loop (another half mile if counted from the parking lot). The path is paved but it is *not* ADA-accessible. There are many dips with moderate elevation changes.

The trail wraps around the tower with gorgeous views of the formation and surrounding valley.

Look for rock climbers on the tower while you’re there! We saw several scaling the rock face!

And marvel at all the giant boulders at the tower’s base.

Don’t forget to smell the trees! They’re ponderosa pines and smell like vanilla (or butterscotch, depending on who you ask)!

Become a Junior Ranger

You can’t visit Devils Tower with kids without swearing in as Junior Rangers!

Pick up a free Junior Ranger activity book at the visitor center before you walk around the tower. Complete the book and turn it back in for a badge!

Check out the prairie dog town

At the base of the tower, right near the entrance to the monument, sits a prairie dog town!

Our kids loved seeing the little prairie dogs and listening to them yip and yap as they scurried in and out of holes.

Bonus: Visit other Black Hills sites

Your adventure to the Black Hills with kids wouldn’t be complete without exploring the rest of the region!

Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and the Mammoth Site are all other places you must visit in the Black Hills with kids!

We spent six days in the Black Hills with kids in 2025. It was a wonderful trip that we all still talk about!

All of these spots are within an hour from Rapid City, which makes for a great National Parks road trip with kids.

Where to eat & stay near Devils Tower

There is no food inside Devils Tower National Monument, but there are two or three restaurants within 15 minutes.

But, we always bring a picnic to enjoy. The Devils Tower Picnic Area has covered picnic tables and gorgeous views of the tower.

Plus, this is where you see the Circle of Sacred Smoke sculpture.

The only lodging inside the monument is at the Belle Fourche River Campground. My husband and I camped there when we visited Devils Tower in 2016. It’s perfect for catching the tower in the stunning golden hour!

If you’re visiting as part of a Dakotas adventure or Black Hills road trip, Devils Tower is a great day trip with kids.

Devils Tower is less than two hours from Rapid City.

The last time we visited the Black Hills with kids, we split our lodging.

For the first few nights, we stayed at the Residence Inn at WaTiki Water Park in Rapid City. It was our first waterpark experience, and the kids LOVED it!

The rest of the trip, we stayed in a cabin in Custer State Park. If you’re looking for something a little quieter and closer to nature, Custer State Park offers a multitude of lodging options among the lakes, forests, and granite.

We visited Devils Tower in 2025 as part of a 10-day trip around the Dakotas.

We started in Rapid City to see Badlands National Park before driving to Devils Tower for the morning. We then journeyed on to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and back to South Dakota to hit the other amazing stops in the Black Hills.

I hope you have a great trip to Devils Tower with kids!