A couple of lucky devils

We were pushed to our limits this summer as we boondocked across Wyoming, battling heatwaves and their health-compromising consequences, and constantly feeling like we were being pulled in multiple directions. Should we continue camping with no hookups, or should we get some shore powered electricity so we could run the AC as much as we needed? Were the sites in gorgeous natural surroundings worth it if we were feeling miserable? Should we throw money at more expensive RV parks when all we want to do is cash in on our solar? We went back and forth a few times, opting for short stints at RV parks before diving into boondocking once again, but the real clincher came when our generator put an end to all the flip-flopping. Genny started fuming hard. Literally. Whenever we turned it on, we would get inundated with gas fumes so bad that we needed to take the cover off to air it out while it ran. Then, before long, our water pump followed suit and stopped pumping properly. With two of our major resources down, it was a sign that boondocking needed to stop for a while. Thankfully, we had already booked a full hookup campsite to finish off our jaunt across Wyoming. We had finally made our way to the eastern side of the state and couldn't wait to see the biggest draw: Devils Tower. We booked a site with a view at a KOA with amenities galore. Even better, the weekend we arrived, we had some beautiful weather. Our luck was definitely changing.

We already covered all the fun activities we did to kick off our time in Devils Tower, but the fun didn't stop there. We filled our days with as many moments of morale boost as we possibly could. I was still recovering from my electrolyte deficiency, so I had to take it easy on my muscles, but we couldn't pass up our chances to hike around the tower before the heat rolled back in. The national monument has a handful of trails, two of which go around the tower itself: The popular Devils Tower loop which is paved and right at the tower's base, and the Red Beds Trail, which is further down, longer, and more rugged terrain. We covered both of these trails and also added in Valley View and South Side. These are two paths that lead to the Bell Fourche Campground, where we were going to stay if we had continued boondocking. During our hike, we stopped at the campground to walk the loops and see what could have been. We happened to walk through there at the same time we could have been arriving, so we got to see real-time how many sites were available and which ones had the best views. We found the site we would have chosen, which was very nice, but we were happy to be living in luxury at the KOA.

The best part of hiking the trails around the campground are that we got to see features beyond the tower. The Circle of Sacred Smoke is a Zen sculpture that honors the Lakota Native tribe, who received their first sacred pipe from the Buffalo Calf Women at this location. Devils Tower is very spiritual to the tribes in the area. In fact, when hiking around the tower, you might see trees with pieces of fabric hanging from their branches. These are prayer scarves that are hung during ceremonies at the tower - or at least the authentic ones are. We can guess that tourists hang their own fabrics non-ceremoniously too, but it's interesting to walk among the colorful fabrics when on the Devils Tower loop.

The other standout feature near the campground is the prairie dog habitat. While you can see it from the road, the Valley View and South Side hiking trails run right through it, which is a wonderfully unique experience. We got to walk right through the town - this is what the habitat is called - and see the prairie dogs up close. Their barks alerted each other to the humans in the area, and some took this as a sign to run into their dens, while others were a lot less shy.

We visited the prairie dogs again on our second hiking excursion, this time starting at the campground parking lot and heading towards the Joyner Ridge Trail. This trail brought us to the other side of Devils Tower, where many agree (myself included) is the best view. The trail traverses several ecosystems, including a prairie, a forest, and a ravine, and all have different climates. The heat had returned that morning, so we were extra thankful for the cooler temperatures in the ravine.

That week, the skies were hazy due to the many wildfires out west, but we had one night that allowed for a chance for decent photography. I hadn't taken night shots since we were in Big Bend in February, but Devils Tower is the perfect foreground for the night sky. The half moon was very bright, as we entered the final week before the August blue supermoon, so my hopes were already low for stargazing. Some clouds were also forming on the southern horizon. My initial thoughts were to head to the Joyner Ridge trailhead, given the beautiful view of the tower peering over the massive prairie. Turns out, I wasn't alone in my thoughts. When we arrived, several photographers were already there with their tripods set up. The more photographers doing night shots, the harder it is for everyone. We try to stay as inconspicuous as possible, but any light from camera equipment, headlights, or a flashlight can leak into someone else's shot. We all had our work cut out for us, between the other photographers, the moonlight, and the clouds. I walked further up the trail so I could be out of people's way, but as soon as I set up my tripod, I knew the photos would be a bust. I quickly formed a plan B, but before I left, I tilted my camera up to get a shot of the faint Milky Way above the ponderosa pines. One day I'll get a more vivid shot, when the conditions are right.

On the drive up to Joyner Ridge, I had noticed that the Big Dipper was shining over the tower on the other side. I wasn't sure how much light pollution I'd encounter, but I figured I might as well try to pull off at the prairie dog pullout and aim my camera towards the tower, away from the moon and campground. The campground was surprisingly dark that night, and the moon was becoming shrouded by the clouds. This was my chance. I was able to get the dipper as it fell behind the tower, almost as though to scoop the tower up in its ladle. No one even drove by while I was taking the photos, and I wondered about all the photographers still at Joyner Ridge. If they wanted to capture the tower among the clouds, then high-quality equipment could have done it. Mine could not. However, if astrophotography was the goal, it would have been advantageous for them to try a different vantage point. I always say that when it comes to photography, I like to capture the famous landmarks in a new way. I may not have gotten the money shot from Joyner Ridge, but I got my own money shot.

Devils Tower National Monument was incredible, but we also wanted to take advantage of the amenities at the KOA. We were paying for them, after all. Typically we're not ones to use amenities much, but after boondocking for 99% of the state of Wyoming, we couldn't wait to reap the benefits of staying in an RV park. This KOA was a good one, offering tons of fun amenities, both free and paid. We talked about enjoying the café, ice cream, and hayride in the last blog post. Later on during our stay, we also played a round of mini golf, and of course, we couldn't leave without joining one of the movie nights, where they play Close Encounters of the Third Kind in their outdoor theater. The scenes near Devils Tower were filmed right on that very spot, back in the 1970s when the area was just a pasture owned by the Driskills - the family who owns the KOA and the ranch next door. It's a unique experience to immerse yourself in the movie, with the actual tower looming over the top of the theater screen. When we were up the street taking night photography, we could hear the end of the movie playing in the distance. Right then, I caught a shot with a light trail leading straight towards Devils Tower. "They're coming!" I exclaimed. The light trail was really just an airplane, but it was a funny moment.

So far in our travels, we have stayed at 11 KOAs, and Devils Tower has been our favorite. We loved how close it was to the main attraction. If you stay at KOAs often, you may have noticed that sometimes they're not as close as their name might allude to. They always seem to be close enough, but not right there. At Devils Tower, it's right there! The amenities were fantastic and we loved how the owners incorporate visits to their ranch. Even little details, like the dog run area having trees and a water spigot, are nice touches. When we went, the campground was in the process of building a new pool, which is in the shape of a cowboy boot. It was supposed to be done by summer, but it got delayed. As a concession, they were offering everyone free mini golf, which lots of campers seemed to take advantage of. The only small downside to this campground was that they posted weekly events such as a paint n' sip night and bingo night, but as far as we could tell, these events were no longer held. They should update their welcome papers to reflect this. Otherwise, we couldn't have been happier with our jumping off point for our Devils Tower excursions. We were certainly two lucky devils. We had already booked our full hookup site when our water pump died, so there was no scrambling or stress. As soon as we arrived to Devils Tower, we got a reprieve from the heat. (Ironic considering we were at such a devilish place, but yet we didn't feel like we were burning in the chambers of hell like we did for most of Wyoming). Lastly, we had an opportunity to remind ourselves how we like to camp. We had gotten so set on boondocking with our solar that we forgot about the other part of camping we love: being perpetual tourists! Peaceful nature needs to be juxtaposed with something, and what better than fun activities that remind us what a special place we're visiting? Thanks to Devils Tower, we had repositioned ourselves to fall back in love with our RV lifestyle. From that point forward, we wouldn't stubbornly challenge ourselves to camp a certain way. We would do what we want, when we want. That's the beauty of RV life, after all.

Campground:

Devils Tower/Black Hills KOA Journey
Site 70, Full hookups (5oamp)
Picnic table, firepit
View of Devils Tower, fun amenities ($), walking distance to the National Monument entrance gate
Campground recommended? Yes
Site recommended? Yes