Devils Tower, WY

The top table in tiny Hulett, a cafe-and-bar whose surprisingly ambitious kitchen turns out prime rib, steaks and a cult Guinness beer-battered cod amid walls crammed with curiosities. It punches far above what a town this size has any right to, gourmet cooking at home-town prices. The dinner to plan an evening around.

The public restaurant at the Golf Club at Devils Tower, plating steaks, burgers and walleye on a patio that looks straight at the Tower. It pairs casual Western fare with skeet shooting and a round of golf in the monument's shadow. The most scenic dinner table in the county.

A scratch pizzeria in Hulett making its dough fresh daily and pouring a rotating tap of local beer. It is the relaxed, family-friendly counter for a pie after a day at the monument, the best pizza for a long way in any direction. Casual and reliably good.

A restaurant and bar on the road between Hulett and the monument, a relaxed Western watering hole for burgers, drinks and a bite close to the Tower. It is the easy, unfussy stop when you want food and a cold one without driving far. A local hangout more than a destination.

A casual all-day cafe near the monument base with a long menu of sandwiches and burgers, including a signature build named for climbing the Tower. It is the convenient refuel right by the entrance, doing the job for hungry hikers and families. Quick, hearty and close to the action.

The old trading post at the monument entrance, part gift shop and part grill and ice-cream counter that has fueled Tower visitors for generations. The hand-dipped ice cream on the porch with the rock looming overhead is a small ritual of the visit. The classic post-hike cool-down stop.

The paved 1.3-mile loop that circles the base of the monument through ponderosa pine and the boulder field at its foot. Interpretive signs explain the geology and the columns rise straight overhead the whole way, with benches to stop and crane your neck. The essential, easy walk that everyone does and should.

A 1.5-mile loop along the monument's north edge that climbs a grassy ridge and dips into the draw below, framing the Tower across tall-grass prairie and forest. Far quieter than the base loop, it is the local favorite for sunset when the rock turns gold. The best photographer's walk in the park.

A 2.8-mile loop that swings wider than the base trail, out through the rust-red sandstone beds with long views over the Belle Fourche valley. The varied terrain and changing angles on the Tower make it the most rewarding longer walk in the monument. A solid hour or two for those wanting more than the paved loop.

A free small-town museum in downtown Hulett packing dinosaur bones, Native American artifacts and ranching-and-rodeo displays into the story of this corner of Wyoming. It is a quick, characterful stop and a good rainy-hour fallback near the monument. Punches above its size for a free admission.

The personal gallery of a noted Western artist whose work hangs in the Smithsonian, a charming step back in time in downtown Hulett. It is an unexpected dose of serious art in a tiny ranching town, full of cowboy-country paintings and prints. A genuine surprise worth the stop.

A scenic golf course laid out in the literal shadow of the monument, with the Tower looming over the fairways and traveler packages for non-members. Playing a round here is a only-in-Wyoming novelty, and the clubhouse restaurant and skeet range round it into a full day. Golf with the strangest backdrop in the game.

A historic lodge at the very base of the monument that doubles as a base for guided rock climbs and dark-sky stargazing. For visitors who want to actually scale the Tower or learn its night sky, this is the jumping-off point. The closest you can sleep, climb or stargaze to the rock itself.

The nation's first national monument, a 867-foot stump of fluted volcanic rock that erupts straight out of the rolling prairie and the Belle Fourche valley. Sacred to many Plains tribes and instantly familiar from film, it is one of those landmarks that is bigger and stranger in person than any photo prepares you for. The reason everything else here exists.

A sprawling colony of black-tailed prairie dogs spread across the meadow along the monument entrance road, popping up and chirping warnings as you pass. It is a guaranteed wildlife hit, especially with kids, and a classic stop on the drive up to the Tower. Easy, free and endlessly entertaining.

The slow prairie river that wraps the base of the monument, lined with cottonwoods and a favorite foreground for photographers framing the Tower. A short stroll from the campground reaches the bank, where the rock reflects in the still water on calm mornings. The quiet, green counterpoint to the looming rock above.