Devils Tower National Monument was a waypoint for me on the way from the Badlands to Yellowstone. The monolith rises out of nothing, and it’s easy to imagine the shock of the families travelling on the Oregon Trail as they slowly drew closer. Of course I had to wear my “Teddy Swolesevelt” tank to show respect for the president that first signed the Antiquities Act into law and then that same year designated Devil’s Tower as the first National Monument in the country. He would go on to designate 18 National Monuments including, notably, the Grand Canyon, which would later become one of the most iconic National Parks in the country.