Within Devils Tower
Devils Tower works as a UFO signal in Close Encounters of the Third Kind because it looks less like a conventional mountain than a piece of information. Before anyone in the film knows its name, the landmark functions as a repeated visual code: a simple shape that can be remembered, drawn and recognised instantly.
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Introduction
Devils Tower works as a UFO signal in Close Encounters of the Third Kind because it looks less like a conventional mountain than a piece of information. Before anyone in the film knows its name, the landmark functions as a repeated visual code: a simple shape that can be remembered, drawn and recognised instantly. Steven Spielberg’s choice succeeds because Devils Tower combines three unusual qualities at once. It has a singular silhouette, a broad flat summit that seems designed for arrival, and a geological structure so striking that it can feel intentional even when viewers know it is natural. The result is a location that plausibly operates as a message long before it becomes a destination. [AFI Catalog]catalog.afi.comMovie DetailsAFI CatalogClose Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - AFI CatalogReviewing a map of a Wyoming mountain called Devil's Tower, military pe…
The Silhouette Before the Name
One of the film’s most effective mechanisms is that audiences encounter the shape before they encounter the place. Roy Neary and other witnesses become obsessed with an image they cannot identify. The landmark exists first as a mental imprint and only later as a real location in Wyoming. The AFI plot summary describes this progression as a recurring mountain form that ultimately leads characters to Devils Tower. [AFI Catalog]catalog.afi.comMovie DetailsAFI CatalogClose Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - AFI CatalogReviewing a map of a Wyoming mountain called Devil's Tower, military pe…
That narrative device only works if the image is unmistakable. Devils Tower is unusually suited to this role because its outline can be recognised from almost any angle. Unlike a mountain range, which requires context, the Tower reads as a single object. It rises abruptly from the surrounding landscape rather than blending into it, creating a shape that can be reduced to a simple sketch without losing its identity. [Intermountain Histories]intermountainhistories.orgAlso visible is the Belle Fourche…Read more…
As a UFO signal, simplicity matters. A complicated message invites interpretation. A simple shape invites recognition. The film therefore treats Devils Tower less as scenery than as a visual instruction repeated in the minds of selected witnesses.
Why the Flat Summit Feels Like an Invitation
The top of Devils Tower contributes as much to its symbolic power as its height.
Many famous mountains culminate in peaks, ridges or jagged summits. Devils Tower instead presents a broad, level top resting on nearly vertical sides. Seen from a distance, it resembles a platform more than a peak. This creates a subtle psychological effect: viewers can imagine something arriving there.
The film never needs to state this directly. The shape does the work. A pointed mountain suggests climbing and conquest. A flat-topped monolith suggests rendezvous. The summit appears less like a natural endpoint and more like a designated location.
This visual logic helps explain why the site feels credible as the endpoint of extraterrestrial communication. The audience does not merely accept that aliens chose Devils Tower; the mountain’s geometry makes the choice seem intuitive. Spielberg reportedly reacted strongly to the landmark when scouting locations, describing its distinctive form as unlike anything he had previously seen. [Travel Wyoming]travelwyoming.comTravel Wyoming Close Encounters with a Spiritual LandmarkTravel WyomingClose Encounters with a Spiritual LandmarkFebruary 13, 2017 — 13 Feb 2017 — It wasn't until later in the process that Joe b…
Geology That Feels Improbable
The deepest reason Devils Tower functions as a UFO signal is that its geology already produces the sensation of design.
Geologists identify the Tower as an igneous intrusion formed when magma cooled and hardened underground. As that material contracted during cooling, it fractured into long polygonal columns, creating the vertical grooves that define the monument today. The resulting columnar jointing is one of the most spectacular examples of the phenomenon anywhere in the world. USGS [National Park Service]nps.govNational Park Service Columnar JointingColumnar Jointing - Volcanoes, Craters & Lava Flows (U.S….18 Apr 2023 — Columnar jointing consists of sets of regularly spaced paralle…
From a scientific perspective, the structure is entirely natural. From a visual perspective, it can look engineered.
Several features contribute to that impression:
- The columns are remarkably regular and often appear geometric.
- The sides rise almost vertically for hundreds of feet.
- The overall form resembles a single carved object rather than an eroded landscape.
- The monument stands isolated from its surroundings, increasing its apparent artificiality. [Geology of Wyoming]geowyo.comGeology of WyomingDevils Tower & Black HillsDevils Tower with its columnar jointing is the most easily recognized of the intrusive bodies… [USGS]usgs.govDevils Tower National Monument | U.SGeological SurveyLike other similar rocks, it is an igneous intrusion that cooled forming spectacular vertical, hexagonal columns. Geolog…
The film exploits this tension between explanation and appearance. Viewers understand that Devils Tower is a real geological formation, yet its geometry feels so orderly that it can plausibly serve as a beacon, marker or landing site within the story’s logic.
Importantly, Spielberg does not present the Tower as alien technology. The location remains recognisably natural. Its effectiveness comes from occupying an unusual middle ground: it looks real enough to be credible and strange enough to seem chosen.
A Signal Hidden in Plain Sight
Most fictional UFO landing sites are invented landscapes. Devils Tower achieves something more powerful because it already exists.
Its silhouette is memorable before it is identified. Its summit suggests a meeting place. Its columned walls look improbably structured while remaining scientifically explicable. Together, these characteristics allow the monument to function as a signal without emitting anything at all.
In Close Encounters, the message is not a broadcast from space. It is a shape. Devils Tower becomes the perfect first-contact geography because it appears to contain meaning even before anyone understands what that meaning is. [AFI Catalog]catalog.afi.comMovie DetailsAFI CatalogClose Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - AFI CatalogReviewing a map of a Wyoming mountain called Devil's Tower, military pe… [USGS]usgs.govOpen source on usgs.gov.
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Books and field guides related to Tower As UFO Signal 1224 B3. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
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Endnotes
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Source: catalog.afi.com
Title: Movie Details
Link: https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/67160?cxt=filmographySource snippet
AFI CatalogClose Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - AFI CatalogReviewing a map of a Wyoming mountain called Devil's Tower, military pe...
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Source: usgs.gov
Title: Devils Tower National Monument | U.S
Link: https://www.usgs.gov/geology-and-ecology-of-national-parks/devils-tower-national-monumentSource snippet
Geological SurveyLike other similar rocks, it is an igneous intrusion that cooled forming spectacular vertical, hexagonal columns. Geolog...
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Source: usgs.gov
Link: https://www.usgs.gov/geology-and-ecology-of-national-parks/devils-tower-national-monument-standard-photo-tour -
Source: usgs.gov
Title: Devils Tower National Monument | U.S
Link: https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/devils-tower-national-monument-0Source snippet
Geological SurveyDevils Tower in Devils Tower National Monument is a steep sided igneous body that displays spectacular columnar jointing...
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Source: usgs.gov
Title: Devils Tower National Monument | U.S
Link: https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/devils-tower-national-monument-12Source snippet
Geological SurveyDevils Tower in Devils Tower National Monument is a steep sided igneous body that displays spectacular columnar jointing...
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Source: intermountainhistories.org
Link: https://www.intermountainhistories.org/items/show/226Source snippet
Also visible is the Belle Fourche...Read more...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Devils Tower
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_TowerSource snippet
Devils TowerDevils Tower is a laccolithic butte, composed of igneous rock in the Bear Lodge Ranger District of the Black Hills, near H...
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Source: travelwyoming.com
Title: Travel Wyoming Close Encounters with a Spiritual Landmark
Link: https://travelwyoming.com/blog/stories/post/close-encounters-with-a-spiritual-landmark/Source snippet
Travel WyomingClose Encounters with a Spiritual LandmarkFebruary 13, 2017 — 13 Feb 2017 — It wasn't until later in the process that Joe b...
Published: February 13, 2017
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Source: nps.gov
Title: National Park Service Columnar Jointing
Link: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/volcanoes/columnar-jointing.htmSource snippet
Columnar Jointing - Volcanoes, Craters & Lava Flows (U.S....18 Apr 2023 — Columnar jointing consists of sets of regularly spaced paralle...
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Source: geowyo.com
Link: https://www.geowyo.com/devils-tower–black-hills.htmlSource snippet
Geology of WyomingDevils Tower & Black HillsDevils Tower with its columnar jointing is the most easily recognized of the intrusive bodies...
Additional References
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Source: alamy.com
Link: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/close-encounters-third-kind.htmlSource snippet
Close encounters third kind Stock Photos and ImagesSilhouette of Devils Tower (Wyoming) Stock Photo. RF 2CAGBTH... The Devils Tower is o...
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Source: iugs-geoheritage.org
Link: https://iugs-geoheritage.org/geoheritage_sites/devils-tower-mateo-tepe/Source snippet
Devils Tower, Mateo TepeIt is comprised of porphyritic phonolite, and is the World's largest example of polygonal columnar jointing (Robi...
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Source: espn.com
Link: https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/_/name/nj/new-jersey-devilsSource snippet
New Jersey Devils Scores, Stats and HighlightsVisit ESPN for New Jersey Devils live scores, video highlights, and latest news. Find stand...
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Source: Wikipedia
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_Encounters_of_the_Third_KindSource snippet
Close Encounters of the Third Kind... Devils Tower, but are intercepted by the Army. Lacombe interviews Roy, who is unable to explain...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1ny6w31/devils_tower_and_close_encounters_movie/ -
Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/newjerseydevilsSource snippet
New Jersey DevilsThe official YouTube channel of the New Jersey Devils. The New Jersey Devils are the premier National Hockey League (NHL...
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Source: icr.org
Title: devils tower mysterious columns and engineered lichens
Link: https://www.icr.org/content/devils-tower-mysterious-columns-and-engineered-lichensSource snippet
Devils Tower: Mysterious Columns and Engineered LichensFeb 28, 2023 — The mystery of its formation begins with its general cone shape and...
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Source: terrordaves.com
Title: devils tower the 40th anniversary of close encounters
Link: https://terrordaves.com/2017/09/04/devils-tower-the-40th-anniversary-of-close-encounters/Source snippet
Devil's Tower & the 40th Anniversary of “Close Encounters!”4 Sept 2017 — Aliens and Jackalopes · Close Encounters Trading Cards; Devil's...
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Source: nhl.com
Link: https://www.nhl.com/devils/Source snippet
of 10+ to receive exclusive benefits and specially-priced tickets!Read more...
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Source: instagram.com
Link: https://www.instagram.com/njdevils/?hl=enSource snippet
! Learn more at the link in our bio...Read more...
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