Devils Tower NM (non-climbing), Wyoming
3-Day Itinerary for Couples
“Stone Sentinel, Quiet Hearts: 3 Days at Devils Tower”
The tower doesn't announce itself so much as arrive — a column of ancient stone rising out of green spring grassland like the land itself is holding its breath. This is a trip built for slow mornings, held hands on quiet trails, and the particular hush that settles over the high plains at dusk.
At a Glance
Highlights
- Sunrise light climbing the columns of Devils Tower before the crowds wake up
- A wildflower-lined loop on the Red Beds Trail, red rock underfoot
- Standing at the rim of the 40-foot Vore Buffalo Jump sinkhole in total plains silence
- Golden-hour drive along the Belle Fourche Scenic Byway with pullouts made for two
- Hearty ranch-country dinners in Hulett and Sundance after long days outdoors
- Wide-open, star-flecked evenings with barely another soul in sight
Day-by-Day Plan
Day 1: Arrival and First Light on the Grasslands
A light first day with one easy trail loop and a scenic byway drive, totaling under 3 miles of walking, designed to ease into the rhythm of the high plains.
After the drive in, ease into the trip with this flat, forgiving loop at the base of the Tower — the easiest way to take in its scale without taxing legs still stiff from travel. Ponderosa pine scents the air, and the columns overhead seem to shift shape with every few steps. Arrive by 9am for gentler crowds; by midday, the lot fills with tour groups.
A slow, unhurried drive along 32 miles of open grassland, with the Tower reappearing at unexpected angles through the windshield. This is a day for pulling over often — for the wind, the wildflowers just beginning to dot the roadside, and the strange gravity of the monolith rising from flat land. Perfect low-effort activity for a travel-weary first day.
The first morning is about arrival more than achievement — an easy loop on the Tower Trail lets legs stretch and eyes adjust to the strange, columnar scale of the monolith without demanding much of travel-tired bodies. Arriving by 9am means the trail is still hushed, footsteps and wind the only sounds, the Tower catching soft light along its ridges.
The pace slows further with a scenic drive along the Belle Fourche Byway, windows down, stopping wherever the light or the wildflowers ask for it. This is less a destination than a mood — thirty-two miles of grassland unspooling with the Tower as a constant, shifting companion on the horizon.
As dusk settles, head into Hulett or Sundance to find dinner and let the day's driving fade into the quiet of a small Western town closing up for the night — most restaurants here wind down by 8 or 9pm, so plan to arrive with appetite in hand.
Day 2: Red Rock and Deep Time
A fuller day combining the Red Beds Trail's wildflower-lined loop with the historic gravity of Vore Buffalo Jump, roughly 3-3.5 miles of walking at a moderate pace.
Arrive at 7:30am and the Red Beds Trail belongs almost entirely to you — rust-colored rock bands underfoot, the Tower appearing and disappearing between stands of ponderosa pine, spring wildflowers just starting to push through at trail's edge. This is the most immersive, romantic walk of the trip, best shared in the cool hush before other visitors arrive.
A profound change of pace — standing at the rim of a 40-foot sinkhole where Plains tribes once orchestrated one of history's most sophisticated communal hunts. The site is almost eerily quiet, wind constant, the geometry of the pit pulling the eye downward into deep time. It's a moment for quiet conversation rather than spectacle.
A gentle, indoor counterpoint to the morning's outdoor exertion — worn leather, aged wood, and quiet artifact rooms tracing both pioneer and indigenous stories of this stretch of Wyoming. It pairs naturally with the morning's history at Vore, filling in context without repeating terrain.
The day begins in near solitude on the Red Beds Trail, arriving before 8am to catch the rock's color deepen in low light and to have the winding path essentially to yourselves. Wildflowers are just beginning to appear at the trail's edges, and the Tower slips in and out of view through the pines like a slow reveal.
After a long, contemplative drive south, the mood shifts entirely at Vore Buffalo Jump — wind-scoured, silent, and humbling in scale. From there, the pace softens further with an indoor stop at the Hulett Pioneer Museum, artifacts and quiet rooms offering a resting point for legs and minds alike.
Evening settles into Hulett's unhurried rhythm — a modest small-town gateway where dinner options are simple but the quiet, star-filled sky afterward more than makes up for it. Reservations aren't typically necessary here, but arriving before 8pm ensures the kitchen is still going.
Day 3: Golden Hour and Goodbye
A shorter final day built around a leisurely return to the Tower and a splurge sunset experience along the byway, roughly 2-2.5 miles of walking.
One last, unhurried loop around the base — arriving early means the Tower catches first light in near silence, the Belle Fourche rushing somewhere below, red dust settling with each step. After two days here, this final walk feels less like sightseeing and more like a quiet goodbye to a landscape that's gotten under the skin.
The trip's splurge moment — not a purchase but an experience: timing the drive so the Belle Fourche River crossing viewpoint catches the sunset directly, water reflecting gold and rose as the Tower darkens into silhouette behind you. Bring something warm to sit on the hood of the car and watch the sky finish its work in near-total quiet.
The final morning returns to the Tower one more time, arriving early enough that the site feels private, almost ceremonial — a slow lap around the base with nothing left to check off, just the columns catching first light and the sound of the river far below.
The day loosens further from here, with time to pack, linger over a late lunch, or simply sit somewhere quiet with a view of the Tower before the light begins to shift toward evening.
The splurge of the trip arrives at sunset on the Belle Fourche Scenic Byway — the river catching the day's last color, the Tower fading to silhouette, and a final quiet dinner in Sundance afterward to close out three days that moved at exactly the pace a couple's trip should.
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Customize This ItineraryRestaurant details (hours, menus, availability) change frequently, and specific dining options for this remote region were limited in our sources — confirm current offerings and hours in Hulett and Sundance before finalizing plans.
Dietary compatibility tags are general guidance. If you have severe allergies, confirm directly with the restaurant.
Travel tips are general guidance, not professional safety advice. Check government advisories and current park conditions for the latest information.
All prices are approximate and may vary seasonally.
