Medicine Wheel / Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark
A low limestone wheel, 28 spokes, and six perimeter enclosures rest on a windswept summit sacred to many Native nations.
Artwork inspired by Carl Rungius
Medicine Wheel is not simply an archaeological arrangement to decode. The roughly 75-foot circle, central cairn, 28 radiating stone rows, and six smaller perimeter enclosures occupy a much larger sacred landscape on Medicine Mountain. Archaeological and ethnographic evidence shows thousands of years of use, while Native people continue to come here for ceremony, prayer, offerings, plant gathering, and vision quests.
From the parking gate, the approach follows a high, exposed gravel road across the Bighorn plateau. The wheel appears gradually rather than monumentally: pale stones close to the ground, prayer cloths on the boundary, and distant ridges under fast-changing weather. That modest scale is essential to understanding the place; its significance comes from relationships among land, sky, community, and ceremony, not architectural mass.
Visit quietly and let living practice set the terms. Stay on the established route, leave every stone and offering untouched, and do not photograph or record a ceremony. Brief closures protect private ceremonial use. The elevation, wind, cold, and lightning can be serious even in summer, so confirm road conditions and carry layers, water, and sun protection.
- Elevation
- 9,642 feet
- Stonework
- 75-foot circle · 28 spokes
- Approach
- About 3 miles round trip
Quick guide
- Interpretive pair
- Central cairn with 28 low stone spokes ↔ Six smaller enclosures around the rim
- Closing move
- Prayer cloths and offerings—observe, never touch
Build an evidence-led visit to Medicine Wheel / Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark
- Begin
- Pause at the gate for current access and cultural-respect guidance.
- Walk quietly
- Give ceremonies distance and keep cameras put away.
- Protect
- Leave stones, prayer cloths, and all offerings exactly where they are.
- Prepare
- Carry water and layers for altitude, wind, sun, cold, and lightning.
Good to know
A ceremony may close the wheel briefly even when the road is open. Wait without complaint, keep a respectful distance, and do not photograph, film, or handle prayer cloths and other offerings. Groups are limited to 25 people at the site; dogs must be leashed and are not allowed on the immediate pathway around the wheel.
Notice these
- Central cairn with 28 low stone spokes
- Six smaller enclosures around the rim
- Prayer cloths and offerings—observe, never touch