Q 01/05

Which science-fiction film made Devils Tower famous as the landing site of an alien mothership?

A) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

B) Close Encounters of the Third Kind

C) The Day the Earth Stood Still

D) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Answer · why

B) Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Close Encounters of the Third Kind filmed on location at the rock in 1976, and so many fans came afterwards that visits to the monument jumped.

Q 02/05

Which US president made Devils Tower the country's first national monument with a proclamation in 1906?

A) Theodore Roosevelt

B) William McKinley

C) William Howard Taft

D) Woodrow Wilson

Answer · why

A) Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt signed the proclamation only three months after Congress gave presidents the power to protect landmarks of scientific interest.

Q 03/05

How did stuntman George Hopkins reach the summit of Devils Tower in 1941, before getting stranded there for six days?

A) By hot-air balloon

B) By helicopter

C) By parachute

D) By glider

Answer · why

C) By parachute

By parachute, as a publicity stunt: he landed on target, but the rope dropped for his descent fell out of reach and climbers had to fetch him.

Q 04/05

In a famous 1977 film scene, what food does Roy Neary absentmindedly shape into Devils Tower at dinner?

A) Chocolate pudding

B) Scrambled eggs

C) Macaroni cheese

D) Mashed potatoes

Answer · why

D) Mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes become an early model of the rock that haunts his visions, before he hauls dirt and bricks indoors to build a huge one.

Q 05/05

The summit of Devils Tower covers about one and a half acres, roughly the size of which playing area?

A) A football field

B) A tennis court

C) A basketball court

D) A polo ground

Answer · why

A) A football field

A football field is the rangers' own comparison for the 180-by-300-foot top, a rocky dome where grasses and cactus grow.