• Key Information

  • Mato Tipila

  • Type
    Laccolith
  • Height
    867 ft
  • First Climbed
    William Rogers and Willard Ripley, July 4, 1893
  • Established
    24 September 1906
  • Learning Point
  • Mato Tipila, also known as Devils Tower is a laccolith, an area of rock that formed from magma that squeezed between other layers of rock, and which is known for the hexagonal pillars that it is made from. It is an iconic location, and has become the basis for many native American stories.
  • Project
  • Draw a picture of you climbing up the side of Mato Tipila.
  • Location
  • Located in
    Crook County, Wyoming, United States
  • Fun Facts
  • The name "Mato Tipila" is from Cheyenne/Lakota and means "Bear's House".
  • The pillars that make up the tower were created when the magma cooled, forming mainly hexagonal pillars. Many of these have fallen away through erosion.
  • The layers of rock that once covered Mato Tipila have since been eroded, with the stronger rock of the tower resisting erosion for longer.