Driskill Calls Closure Of Devils Tower “Stupidity At Highest Levels”

There will be no after hours at Devils Tower National Monument. The monument abruptly announced Tuesday that, starting Thursday, the monument is no longer open 24/7 and will only be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

The change was announced on the Devils Tower Facebook page. The monument, usually open 24 hours a day, will be closed overnight.

The National Park Service (NPS) has not provided a reason for the sudden change, and Cowboy State Daily couldn’t reach anyone at Devils Tower National Monument for additional clarification. That includes more information about whether that includes camping at the nation’s first national monument.

Public response to the sudden change has not been favorable.

“This is stupidity at its highest level,” said state Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, whose family has lived at the base of the tower for generations. “Devils Tower has been open 24 hours a day, unstaffed, for 50 years. It’s been that way forever, and I think it’s absolutely ridiculous to do this.”

All Hours, Always

The changes at Devils Tower surprised everyone in northeast Wyoming, including Driskill. He believes the decision to close the monument overnight is shortsighted and impractical.

“They don’t have gates,” he said. “The only time Devils Tower has ever been closed in my lifetime was during government shutdowns, and all they did was put barricades at the entrance. It’s always been open 24 hours a day.”

Many people immediately linked the changed hours with the reduction of NPS staff, which was associated with recent actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by Elon Musk. However, that hasn’t been verified.

Driskill didn’t know if closing Devils Tower overnight was because of current or anticipated staff shortages. Nevertheless, he said it would be “absolutely ridiculous” to close Devils Tower overnight. He also questions whether staffing can be a reason considering the monument is usually unstaffed at night anyway.

“There's absolutely no way they could justify it,” he said. “Devils Tower has a proven track record of being open overnight with no employees around. They don’t have law enforcement 24/7, and Crook County law enforcement usually responds to any emergencies, which in my 60 years of experience, are very minimal.”

Dark Skies Goodbye

When Laura Redmond with Heart of Wyoming Photography learned about the changes at Devils Tower, she realized she lost one of her favorite subjects without a chance for a final shot.

“Devils Tower has amazing dark skies,” she said. “I have captured so many awesome things at night inside the monument, from the Milky Way and the Northern Lights to climbers and comets. They have taken that opportunity away, altogether for everyone.”

Milky Way season, the best time of year to see and photograph the galaxy, is just starting. With the overnight closure starting Thursday, Redmond knows she won’t have another chance to get a spectacular shot of the Milky Way with Devils Tower looming in the foreground.

“I don’t know of any reason why they’re closing it overnight,” she said. “There hasn’t been any weather. I haven’t heard of any vandalism. I don’t know of any other park or monument that’ll be closed this way.”

There have been a flurry of sudden changes and closures through the national parks. Arches National Park in Utah announced that ranger-led tours and self-guided permits for Firey Furnace, one of its most popular hiking trails, will no longer be available after March 23.

Bad For Business

Dozens of local businesses are likely to be impacted by the new hours. The Devils Tower Lodge, which is located within the monument, offers overnight accommodations and is still taking reservations for the 2025 season.

Driskill is concerned that closing Devils Tower at 5 p.m. will sharply reduce visitation in the future. Many tourists might scrap a stop there if they don’t have enough time to see it.

“Our travelers are usually moving between Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone,” he said. “If it’s widely known that Devils Tower closes at 5 p.m., a huge number of travelers are going to learn they can’t get there in time and aren’t going to stop. Visitation could plummet.”

Cowboy State Daily attempted to reach Devils Tower Lodge but was unsuccessful by the time of publication.

Redmond expressed concern about the implications of overnight closure for local communities, including private ranches and American Indian tribes.

“It’s a sacred site for many tribes,” she said. “I thought they were supposed to be able to go in whenever they wanted, do their different ceremonies and take advantage of their unique relationship with the monument.”

Driskill shared concerns about locals’ overnight accessibility. He regularly accesses parts of his family ranch by passing through the monument.

“We go through the monument checking the ranch and feeding cows, day and night, and always have,” he said. “This will be tough for us and a lot of local ranchers.”

Ploy Or Plea?

The abrupt announcement and immediate implementation of the overnight closure of Devils Tower have caused many people to worry NPS sites will become increasingly inaccessible. With no reason given for the changes, people can only speculate.

“Without talking to the superintendent, I assume they're trying to manage their resources,” Rob Wallace, former assistant secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, told Cowboy State Daily. “From the pattern we seem to be seeing across the entire NPS, they probably have less people and are making some concessions by cutting back hours.”

Driskill doesn’t believe that staffing justifies the decision for Devils Tower. He called that reasoning “a knee-jerk ploy over what’s gone on with the feds,” and intended to provoke public outcry.

“It’s always been unstaffed in those oddball hours overnight,” he said. “To the best of my knowledge, they don’t have big problems after-hours and never have. It is an absolute, disingenuous disservice to claim they’re short-staffed and can’t keep it open.”

Wallace was more reserved in his assessment. He knows ploys that have been pulled elsewhere, but that isn’t the Wyoming way.

“You see that sometimes in Washington, D.C., but not at Devils Tower, Grand Teton or Yellowstone,” he said. “I think they're trying to manage the parks and keep them open with less resources.”

Morning Madness

For Redmond, losing overnight access to Devils Tower is losing the best way to experience the iconic monolith. She and many others get in early and stay late to enjoy the monument without the dense daytime crowds.

“Getting in early for sunrise is a peaceful experience that lets you beat the crowds,” she said. “If you wait until 9 a.m., you must wait in line forever to get to the trailheads.

“Photographers like to be set up in their spot for different lighting and the best shot at sunrise. With the new hours, the speed limit, and the distance, we can’t get there in time for sunrise. It’s not awesome for us.”

Driskill said he planned to lobby Wyoming’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., for a change. Devils Tower might be short-staffed this summer, but that’s not a reason to eliminate overnight accessibility.

“There's no possible reason why they have to change it from what it has been,” he said. “I live here. I understand it. People have always been allowed to come and enjoy the monument whenever they’d like. That’s one of the beauties of Devils Tower.”

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.