Prairie Dog Town

Prairie Dog Town is a 40-acre black-tailed prairie dog colony located within Devils Tower National Monument, sitting near the park entrance along the main road before you reach the visitor center. It's one of the first things visitors encounter when entering the monument — and one of the most popular stops, especially for families with children. Prairie dogs are highly social animals that communicate through a series of high-pitched chirps and barks, and watching them interact, chase each other, and pop in and out of their burrow systems is genuinely entertaining. Prairie Dog Town is also visible from the road, so visitors can enjoy the colony from the comfort of their vehicle without stopping. The South Side and Valley View Trails both begin at the amphitheater and pass directly through the prairie dog town, connecting 0.6 miles to the Red Beds Trail. The Wind Circle peace sculpture parking area sits adjacent to the colony, making the two an easy combined stop. A roadside pull-off allows visitors to observe the prairie dogs up close.