Accessibility project begins at Devils Tower

A project to improve accessibility at Devils Tower National Monument is on the near horizon, says Superintendent Amnesty Kochanowski. The work will aim to make the popular site more accessible and safer for visitors and will concentrate on the main areas of visitor use within the park.

The project is just about to go out to bid, Kochanowski says, and the intention is to break ground in September.

The work will include renovation of both parking lots to add more handicap-accessible parking lots and improve the sidewalks to make access to the Tower easier, she said.

Secondly, the approach to the Tower trail will be redone to ensure it is graded to a more accessible level. New exhibits will also be added to the visitor’s center with improved accessibility for the visually or audio impaired and new signs will be visible throughout the park.

According to the proposal, the work will also include four new visitor plazas, including one at the visitor center and three along the Tower Trail; 12 new wayside exhibits along the trail; new accessible restrooms; new crosswalks and pedestrian crossings; a vehicular drop-off area near the climber registration office; and new accessible restrooms.

The estimated completion date for the project is November, 2020. The park is expecting, “Some pretty big impacts during the summer season next year,” says Kochanowski, but is looking for ways to mitigate them.