Devils Tower is open again for roadside views, but hikers who planned Red Beds, Tower Trail, or backcountry loops still need a Plan B.
Wyoming’s official travel alerts page, updated August 3, 2026, says Devils Tower National Monument is open to visitors while all trails and backcountry resources remain closed until further notice because of wildfire activity. Designated open areas still offer views of the tower, but hiking is off the table until park managers reverse the trail closure.
- Place: Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming.
- Status: Monument open to visitors.
- Closed: All trails and backcountry resources until further notice.
- Why: Wildfire activity and ongoing fire-crew operations.
- Action: Recheck NPS and Travel Wyoming alerts before any hiking day.
What changed for visitors
Early August wildfire activity near and around the monument forced a full visitor closure first. Local and state reporting described evacuations and a temporary shutdown while firefighters worked the Left Creek Fire complex southwest of the tower.
The current traveler fact pattern is different from that first shutdown day. Travel Wyoming now lists the monument as open with a residual restriction: trails and backcountry stay closed for visitor safety while fire crews and emergency vehicles continue to operate inside the park.
That means a drive-up visit can still deliver the landmark view from designated open areas. It does not restore a full hiking day. Anyone who booked lodging in Hulett or Sundance specifically for the Tower Trail loop should treat trail access as unavailable until a new official notice says otherwise.
Confirmed fact is the state tourism alert language that the monument is open and that all trails and backcountry resources remain closed until further notice. Interpretation is that climbing and hiking itineraries remain blocked even when the entrance road is open. Still unknown is the reopen date for individual trails, which depends on fire behavior and crew clearance. The Buffalo Bulletin and other regional outlets reported the monument reopened after the first weekend closure while trails stayed shut, so use Travel Wyoming and the National Park Service Devils Tower site as the daily check because fire status can change faster than local recaps.
How to plan a stop that still makes sense
If your goal is the iconic silhouette for photos and a short visitor-center stop, a same-day drive can still work when the entrance is open. Build flexibility for smoke, temporary road controls, and active emergency traffic. If your goal is hiking, climbing, or a multi-mile loop, do not treat Devils Tower as the centerpiece of the day until trails reopen, because northeast Wyoming still offers Black Hills drives, state parks, and the towns of Hulett and Sundance for dining and lodging without relying on closed backcountry.
Camping and hotel plans should separate “see the tower” from “hike the tower.” Many guests can keep lodging if they reframe the visit as a scenic pullout and town day rather than a full trail day.
Climbers face a harder stop. When trails and backcountry resources are closed, tower approaches and technical access are not a gray area for visitors to improvise. Wait for an official reopen notice rather than testing boundary lines around active fire operations.
For broader Wyoming trip context while fire season continues, Deep Arrival’s evergreen Rapid City things to do guide helps re-route Black Hills days when a monument stop shrinks to a viewpoint. Pair that with official Wyoming alerts rather than social media reopen rumors.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Want only the tower view | Visit designated open areas if the entrance remains open and follow posted crew directions. |
| Planned a trail day | Swap to nearby towns, scenic drives, or other public lands until NPS reopens trails. |
| Hold climbing reservations or guide days | Confirm cancel or rebook terms; trail and backcountry closures block normal approaches. |
| Need the official current line | Recheck Travel Wyoming alerts and nps.gov/deto the morning you drive in. |
Why this still matters mid-August
Fire restrictions across Wyoming remain elevated in late summer. Travel Wyoming’s same alerts page warns of high wildfire danger, hazy skies, and temporary trail or area closures that can change quickly statewide.
Devils Tower is a high-intent stop on Black Hills and northern Great Plains road trips. A half-open monument creates a specific decision: keep the detour for the view, or skip it if the only reason for the drive was a long hike.
Emergency vehicles and fire crews inside the park also change visitor behavior. Yield to marked vehicles, obey temporary cones, and do not treat open parking as permission to walk closed trailheads.
Air quality can still be poor even when the tower looks clear from a distance. Smoke can settle overnight and lift by afternoon. Check local air-quality tools if anyone in the group has respiratory sensitivity.
Confirmed from Travel Wyoming’s August 3 update and continuing alert listing: open monument, closed trails and backcountry, wildfire-driven safety posture. Interpretation is that residual access is viewpoint-oriented, not trail-oriented. Still open is the exact reopen sequence for each trail when managers declare the area safe.
How the early August fire sequence led here
The first public shock was a full monument closure. Fire activity near the southwest boundary pushed managers to clear visitors and staff while the Left Creek Fire and related starts were assessed. Regional reporting described nearly 300 acres at one stage and a second nearby start that delayed reopen hopes over a weekend.
Reopening the entrance without reopening trails is a common fire-season compromise. It restores the scenic stop and local business traffic while keeping people off slopes and timber where crews still need exclusive access. Travelers should not read the open gate as proof that every pre-fire activity has returned.
Wyoming tourism messaging also places Devils Tower inside a wider high-fire-danger posture across the state. Hazy skies, campfire bans, and temporary closures can appear on other public lands even when a specific park is only partially restricted. Check each land manager, not just the tower alert.
For multi-stop road trips that also include Yellowstone or Grand Teton, treat each park as its own status line. Grand Teton road projects and Yellowstone summer operations are separate systems. A Devils Tower trail closure does not change those parks, and their construction or smoke issues do not automatically reopen Devils Tower trails.
Local communities remain part of the recovery story. When a monument flips between closed and partially open, hotels and outfitters in Hulett and Sundance absorb cancellations and last-minute rebooks. Clear communication with your host about a viewpoint-only day is kinder and more practical than arriving with a full trail kit and no fallback.
Practical checks the morning you visit
Open the Travel Wyoming alerts page and the NPS Devils Tower homepage before you leave the hotel. Screenshots from last week are not enough when fire status can change overnight.
Call or message lodging if your stay was sold as a hiking base. Many properties can suggest alternate walks on nearby public lands, but only if they know you cannot use the closed monument trails.
Pack for smoke even on a short viewpoint stop. Bring water, a mask if anyone is smoke-sensitive, and a full tank of fuel so you are not forced into an unplanned detour through restricted areas.
Do not park on tall dry grass at pullouts. Exhaust systems can start roadside fires in late-summer drought conditions, a risk Wyoming agencies emphasize during high fire danger.
If rangers or fire personnel redirect traffic, follow them without argument. Partial openings only work when visitors respect the temporary maps that protect both people and ongoing suppression work.
- Before you drive: Recheck Travel Wyoming and NPS Devils Tower alerts the same morning.
- Itinerary: Keep a non-hike backup in Hulett, Sundance, or the wider Black Hills.
- On site: Stay in designated open areas and yield to fire and emergency traffic.
- After reopen: Do not assume every trail returns on the same day the first path reopens.
Primary public alert language is on the Wyoming travel alerts page. For park-level conditions and any later reopen notice, use the official Devils Tower National Monument site.
Is Devils Tower closed right now?
No. Travel Wyoming says the monument is open to visitors, but all trails and backcountry resources remain closed until further notice.
Can I still hike the Tower Trail?
Not while the trail and backcountry closure is in force. Plan only for designated open viewing areas until NPS posts a reopen.
Why are trails still closed if the entrance is open?
State alerts say fire crews and emergency vehicles continue to operate in the park after wildfire activity. Trail and backcountry access stays closed for visitor safety.
What should road-trippers do instead?
Keep the viewpoint stop if it fits the drive, then use nearby towns and other public lands for the active outdoor hours you would have spent on closed trails.
