Hulett, Wyo./Devils Tower

Hulett is a tiny community nestled in the heart of Wyoming’s storied Bear Lodge Mountains. Located on the grassy prairies and pine-covered buttes of a rugged a legendary land, Hulett is technically seated in the far northwestern reaches of the Black Hills. This is a place rich with history and defined by the classical beauty of the American West, where the storied past of the Great Plains meets the sweeping vistas and endless recreational opportunities of the mountains.
 
With a modest population and a history that dates back to 1881, Hulett has a strong tradition of welcoming newcomers with fabled Western hospitality. Residents cherish their tranquil and safe town, and coupled with its beautiful mountain location, native Hulett folks think the community is the perfect place to visit, do business and live free from the stresses of urban life.
 
Set against the red rim rocks of the Belle Fourche River, Hulett is ideally located for recreation. It claims Devils Tower National Monument, with its gorgeous hiking trails and world-class rock climbing, as its backyard. Beautiful rivers, lakes and ponderosa forest lie just at its doorstep, providing fantastic opportunities for boating, fishing, hunting and biking. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National park, among other public parks, are just a few hours to the south, and Yellowstone National Park, the jewel of the American West, is less than a day’s drive west.
 
Just more than 400 permanent residents live in Hulett, which sits at an elevation of 3,755 feet and covers just under one square mile. The average age of a Hulett resident is 37, and the median household income is $23,125. As a result, Hulett (along with the rest of the Black Hills area) has one of the lowest costs of living in America. According to census figures, the average monthly rent in Hulett is just $283, and the median house value is $65,000. There are three medical centers and hospitals within 50 miles (two in Spearfish, S.D. and one in Sundance, Wyo.), although Hulett does have its own clinic. The city’s annual Hulett Rodeo and Parade is one of community’s most popular events, although Hulett is perhaps most well known for its annual Motorcycle Rally, which runs in tandem with the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The Hulett Ham ‘n Jam is a regular part of the rally festivities, and brings several hundred thousand motorcyclists through the town during the first week of August.
 
Devils Tower (known for its appearance in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), Sundance Mountain, Inyan Kara Peak, the Vore Buffalo Jump and the hamlets of Alva and Aladdin (famous for its turn-of-the-century general store) are the nearest landmarks to Hulett. Coal mining, natural gas extraction, forestry and tourism are the major employers.