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Free Traveling Guides » States » Wyoming » DestinationsMedicine Wheel
A place of religious significance to Native Americans, the renowned Medicine Wheel in Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains attracts thousands of visitors from across the country.
Typically a ‘Medicine Wheel’ is built by arranging stones on the ground in specific designs. Though the exact purpose behind constructing a medicine wheel are not clearly known, most archaeologists attribute their existence to ritual, medicinal and astronomical purposes.
The Medicine Wheel in Wyoming, discovered in 1885 is attached by experts to the period between 1200 and 1600 A.D. Studies confirm that this location has been actively utilized by Indian tribes for more than 700 years.
Placed at a height of 9960 feet on a plateau on the Medicine Mountain, the wheel has a diameter of 80 feet and 28 spokes that originate from the centre and end at the inner periphery of the circle. Six Cairns are situated at the rim of the wheel and are almost equidistant from each other. The wheel is surrounded by a fence that holds symbolic sacred items and tourists are asked not to touch any of the articles.
Declared as a National Historic Landmark in 1970, the Medicine Wheel is open during the summers. Also, entry is restricted for short periods when Native Americans carry out their rituals. Cheyenne, Arapaho Dakota, Crow, Cree, and Salish are some of the tribes who consider the site as extremely sacred and offer prayers and hold ceremonies at the location, even today. Vehicles have to be parked at the Visitor Centre that is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away from the site and tourists are required to walk the remaining distance.
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