Devils Tower / Black Hills KOA Journey Blog
KOA Journey campgrounds offer the perfect oasis after a day on the road. Whether it’s along the way or a quick getaway, they’ve got you covered. Located near the highways and byways of North America with long Pull-thru RV Sites, they deliver convenience to the traveling camper. Pull in, ease back and take a load off.
KOA Journey campgrounds offer the perfect oasis after a day on the road. Whether it’s along the way or a quick getaway, they’ve got you covered. Located near the highways and byways of North America with long Pull-thru RV Sites, they deliver convenience to the traveling camper. Pull in, ease back and take a load off.
Westbound traffic take I-90 Exit 185 in Sundance just 28 miles.
Eastbound traffic take I-90 Exit 153 in Moorcroft just 32 miles.
Follow signs to Devils Tower National Monument, we are located just outside the monument gate on the right hand side. The registration desk is located in the Cowboy General Store.
Get Google DirectionsHave you ever looked at Devils Tower and thought, “This place feels a little mysterious”? If so, you are definitely not alone. Long before visitors were snapping photos, hiking the Tower Trail, and gazing up in awe, filmmaker Steven Spielberg saw something truly cinematic in this one-of-a-kind landmark. In 1977, he released Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a science fiction classic that forever connected Devils Tower with flying saucers, glowing lights, and one of the most unforgettable alien encounters in movie history.
Whether you are a lifelong fan of the film or just learning about it for the first time, Close Encounters is the perfect movie to watch before visiting Devils Tower. It turns an already incredible destination into something even more magical.
The movie follows ordinary people who experience strange and unexplainable events involving UFOs. One of the main characters, Roy Neary, becomes obsessed with a mysterious shape he cannot stop seeing in his mind. He draws it, sculpts it, dreams about it, and eventually realizes that the shape is Devils Tower.
That is when the adventure really takes off.
The film builds toward a dramatic and unforgettable finale at Devils Tower, where humans and visitors from beyond the stars finally meet. The result is part mystery, part adventure, part sci-fi wonder, and part “goosebumps in the best way” movie magic.
Devils Tower already looks like something from another world. Rising dramatically from the Wyoming landscape, it has a shape unlike anything around it. Its tall columns, flat top, and powerful presence make it feel ancient, sacred, and mysterious all at once.
That is exactly why it worked so well in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Spielberg did not need to invent a strange alien landmark. Nature had already created one.
For movie fans, seeing Devils Tower in person is a little surreal. You are not just visiting a national monument. You are standing in the same landscape that helped make one of the most famous science fiction endings of all time.
Want to make your visit even more memorable? The Devils Tower KOA shows Close Encounters of the Third Kind nightly at 8:00 p.m. right at the campground, with Devils Tower serving as the ultimate backdrop.
The screenings are free for campers and $10 for visitors, making it a fun and unique way to experience the movie where its iconic finale was filmed. Watching the Tower appear on screen while the real landmark stands nearby is an experience that movie fans and first-time visitors alike will never forget.
Before or during your visit, try this fun movie-inspired challenge:
1. Watch the movie before your trip.
Bonus points if you watch it with popcorn, dim lights, and your best UFO theories ready.
2. Listen for the famous five-note alien melody.
You will know it when you hear it. It is simple, strange, and impossible to forget.
3. Take your own “movie moment” photo.
Find a great view of Devils Tower and recreate your best dramatic sci-fi pose. Point to the sky. Look mysterious. Pretend you just heard something strange.
4. Ask your group: would you go aboard the spaceship?
This is the big question. Some people say yes immediately. Others say absolutely not. There is no wrong answer, but it does make for a great road trip conversation.
5. Spot the Tower from different angles.
As you explore the area, notice how Devils Tower changes depending on where you stand. From some views it feels majestic. From others, mysterious. From the right angle, it feels like you just stepped into the movie.
Even decades after its release, Close Encounters of the Third Kind still feels special. It is not just about aliens or spaceships. It is about curiosity, wonder, and the feeling that something bigger may be waiting just beyond what we understand.
That is also part of what makes Devils Tower such a powerful place to visit. People come for many reasons: hiking, photography, history, geology, camping, wildlife, and yes, movie nostalgia. But almost everyone leaves with the same feeling: this place is unforgettable.
If you are visiting Devils Tower, take a little time to enjoy the movie connection. Watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind, hum the five-note tune, look up at the stars, and let yourself have a little fun with the mystery.
Better yet, catch one of the nightly 8:00 p.m. showings at the Devils Tower KOA. Whether you are staying at the campground or visiting for the evening, it is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to watch the film in the shadow of the landmark that made it famous.
After all, a trip to Devils Tower is already an adventure. Add a classic Spielberg movie into the mix, and suddenly your vacation has a little extra glow.
Who knows? Maybe your own close encounter is waiting just around the bend.
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