Where was Close Encounters of the Third Kind filmed?

This classic of wonder-filled science fiction builds its entire story toward a single, real-world landmark, a place ordinary people feel mysteriously compelled to reach. That sense of being drawn somewhere remote and extraordinary translates perfectly into a road trip, which is why the film still sends travellers out into the wide American interior.

The landmark is Devils Tower, the flat-topped volcanic monolith that rises dramatically from the rolling plains of northeastern Wyoming. Streaked with deep vertical columns and visible for miles across the grasslands, it is every bit as otherworldly in person as it appears in the film, where it becomes the site of the climactic gathering. It was the first place in the United States to be named a national monument.

Devils Tower lies in a quiet corner of Wyoming, well worth the detour on a wider road trip through the American West. A loop trail circles the base, giving close-up views of the columns, and it pairs naturally with the nearby Black Hills and the badlands further east. Aim for clear weather and golden-hour light, when the rock glows and the scene feels most cinematic.