#38: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Set Piece: Devils Tower (the Alien Formation)

Location: Bear Lodge Mountains, Crook County, Wyoming

Production Budget: $20 million*

Devil’s Tower is the first-ever U.S. National Monument, rising majestically in the Bear Lodge Mountains of Wyoming. This colossal rock formation, crafted from igneous rock, stretches a whopping 867 feet into the sky, towering over the landscape like a giant among skyscrapers. Its sheer height draws thrill-seekers from far and wide, with around 5,000 brave souls scaling its heights each year.

Its striking, otherworldly appearance has also captured the imagination of filmmakers. Steven Spielberg famously featured Devil’s Tower as a pivotal location in his 1977 sci-fi classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Decades later, the movie Paul paid homage to Spielberg’s masterpiece, closing with a memorable scene against Devil’s Tower’s iconic backdrop.