On this day in 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt made history by designating Devils Tower in Wyoming as the very first national monument. Rising 1,267 feet above the plains of northeastern Wyoming, this striking butte has long captivated people with its dramatic presence. For more than a century, it has stood as a symbol of America’s commitment to preserving natural, cultural, and historic treasures for generations to come.
The power to create national monuments comes from the Antiquities Act of 1906, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that gave presidents the authority to swiftly protect sites of historic, cultural, or scientific importance. The law was born from concerns about looting and destruction of Native American artifacts and sacred sites in the West. By enabling presidents to act quickly, the Antiquities Act ensured that irreplaceable places could be safeguarded without waiting on Congress.
Roosevelt wasted no time in using this authority—not only did he protect Devils Tower, but he also went on to proclaim the Grand Canyon as a national monument (later elevated to national park status) along with sixteen other sites. Since then, nearly every president has followed in his footsteps. Some, like Jimmy Carter, who designated 15 sites in Alaska, and Barack Obama, who created or expanded 34 monuments protecting over half a billion acres of land and water, left especially large legacies of conservation.
Today, the United States is home to 138 national monuments across 33 states, Washington, D.C., and several U.S. territories. These sites represent a wide spectrum of importance:
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Natural wonders, like volcanic landscapes, marine sanctuaries, and geological formations.
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Historic places, from Native American cliff dwellings to battlefields, forts, and landmarks of African American history.
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Cultural icons, including sacred spaces and landmarks that tell the story of America’s diverse heritage.
California leads the nation with 20 national monuments, followed by Arizona with 19 and New Mexico with 13. Even New York has six, including the smallest of them all—Father Millet Cross National Monument, just 0.0074 acres, now part of Fort Niagara State Park.
At the other end of the spectrum are the vast marine monuments—five of the largest in the system—which protect fragile ocean ecosystems where commercial fishing is prohibited. And the story continues: in January 2025, President Biden added two new California sites—Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument—to the growing list.
From the mighty walls of Devils Tower to the depths of marine sanctuaries, national monuments embody a vision that began 119 years ago today: that America’s most remarkable landscapes, histories, and cultures are worthy of permanent protection. As Roosevelt once said, “Of all the questions which can come before this nation… there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us.”
Today, we celebrate that vision—and the enduring legacy of the very first national monument.