Driven in a large part by its northern, inland location and the huge range in elevation. Where the Belle Fourche River flows out of the state near the Black Hills, the land lies only 3,125 feet above sea level. Yet several mountain ranges top 13,000 feet, peaking at 13,804-foot Gannet Peak in the Wind River area of Western Wyoming. Overall, Wyoming is a very high state; only Colorado to our south has a higher average elevation in the United States.

A good example of Wyoming's arresting contrasts is Devil's Tower National Monument in the beautiful Black Hills of Northeastern Wyoming, home to a countless number of plants and wildlife which attracts visitors from around the world to see this magnificent rock formation that scientists believe is the core of a volcano exposed after millions of years of erosion caused by weather and the Belle Fourche River which.meanders around the base of the tower, 1,267 feet below the summit.. The visitors center located at the base of the tower is at an elevation of 4,250 feet above sea level. The tower itself rises 865 feet above this point, literally towering above peaceful pines and a boulder field created over thousands of years by columns that have fallen and broken into pieces.

In 1906 Congress passed the Antiquities Act which empowered the President to bestow national monument status upon federally owned lands that contain historic landmarks, historic or prehistoric structures, and other significant historic or scientific objects. President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt quickly invoked the Antiquities Act, designating Devils Tower the nation's first national monument on September 24, 1906.