Exploring Around Devils Tower: Warren Peak & Aladdin

EXPLORING THE AREA

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The next morning, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, so I spent some time reviewing the map.

Oh, I could check out Warren Peak!

I’d been thinking about photographing it at sunrise, but I didn’t want to head out there without checking the place out first.

Why not do a little sightseeing instead?

I drove toward Warren Peak, making a few stops along the way. There was a scenic overlook, some cattle wandering along the roadside, and a large field where a couple of horses were grazing.

Devils Tower rising above pine trees and a fenced grassy meadow under a cloudy sky, Wyoming

Sunlight on golden hills and a line of trees, with two horses grazing in a green pasture below, near Warren Peak, Wyoming

It was a pretty scenic drive, although the weather wasn’t cooperating. The sky was cloudy, and everything looked a little drab.

I wasn’t sure what I’d be able to see from the peak, but I continued up the road, passing more cattle and eventually reaching a short stretch of dirt road leading to the Warren Peak fire lookout tower.

Curious Onlooker

This little one stopped munching long enough to check me out on the road to Warren Peak.

The view from up there was pretty nice. You could actually see Devils Tower if you climbed the steps and ladder of the lookout.

View from Warren Peak over forested hills, with a red arrow pointing to Devils Tower on the distant horizon — Devils Tower just behind the trees.

Unfortunately, the upper section was locked, so I couldn’t climb all the way up.

That was okay. It was cold, windy, and cloudy anyway.

The sky didn’t look as though it was going to improve, so I made my way back down toward Devils Tower.

Along the way, I pulled over a few times to capture lone trees.

I also stopped to photograph those horses I’d seen grazing in the field earlier. This time, they were standing near the fence.

One horse, in particular, seemed interested in having its picture taken.

Apparently, I had a willing model!

We had some fun taking pictures together. It reminded me of one of those photo booths where you squeeze in and get five different poses in a strip of photos.

A LITTLE MORE EXPLORING

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This time, I drove through Hulett and continued on to Aladdin, all the way to the South Dakota–Wyoming border.

I finally got a photo of the state signs!

It’s funny how something so simple can become a little victory on a road trip.

I turned around and made my way back toward Hulett, stopping along the way to see Custer’s Expedition Marker and some other structures.

There wasn’t much else going on along WY-24, so I headed back to Devils Tower.

ICE CREAM, PRAIRIE DOGS, AND MORE CLOUDS

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I stopped at the Trading Post again and, of course, got ice cream again.

This time, I went with huckleberry and strawberry.

Round Two

Back for more huckleberry, this time with strawberry. The huckleberry won again. The strawberry? Not so much.

The huckleberry was delicious, but I wasn’t a fan of the strawberry. I guess you can’t win them all. Oh, and look at that. The skies were starting to clear.

Afterward, I hung out with the prairie dogs and some birds for a while before making my way over to my sunset location. I couldn’t help but wonder if these two magpies were trying to play ring around the rosie with that prairie dog?

And once again, the clouds weren’t cooperating.

Nothing spectacular to photograph, and no clear skies for night-sky photography.

Ugh.

Devils Tower glowing golden at sunset under a clear blue sky, with pine trees and a grassy meadow in the foreground, Wyoming — Golden Hour, No Cotton Candy

The Tower lit up beautifully at sunset, but once again, the clouds didn’t show up for the party. Of course, they arrived fashionably late, just in time to crash the night sky.

TIME FOR A CHANGE OF PLANS

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I drove back to the motel to review my photographs and check the weather forecast for the following day and evening.

It wasn’t looking any better. In fact, rain was forecast to move in from the west.

There I lay, wondering what I should do.

I’d originally planned to stay for a third night and then make the long drive from Hulett to Alamosa, Colorado. But that would mean leaving early in the morning for a nine- to ten-hour drive.

I wasn’t particularly thrilled about that idea, especially with the weather looking so unpromising.

By the next morning, I’d made up my mind.

It was time to head south toward Colorado.

Instead of making the long drive to southern Colorado in one day, I decided to check out early and drive to Colorado Springs, where I’d spend the night. That would make for a more manageable drive of about seven hours and give me a chance to visit some locations I’ve been wanting to mark off my bucket list.

So there I was, loading up the car and heading south.

Although the clouds never gave me the clear skies I needed for Milky Way photography, I still wanted to see what I could create with the images I captured.

Sometimes, you have to make the most of what you have.

Here is my composite of Devils Tower beneath the Milky Way.