Near Lovell in Big Horn County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)

Medicine Wheel

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 14, 2015

1. Medicine Wheel Marker

Inscription. Medicine Mountain to your left, was named for the Medicine Wheel, a stone circle that lies atop a ridge below its summit. Designated a National Historic landmark, this symbol remains a mystery as the builders and purpose of the Medicine Wheel remain unknown. There is a theory that the wheel is a replica of the Sun Dance Lodge of Crow legend and was oriented to point to the summer solstice sunrise. In the Indians' religious life, peaks of the Big Horn Mountains were objects or respect. Indians journeyed into the mountain solitude to make or find their medicine. This wheel is an important symbol of Indian beliefs about man's relationship to the world. Modern Indians use the Medicine Wheel for religious ceremonies. At times, flags, or offerings are left about the wheel, signifying that a ceremony has taken place. A gravel road leads up Medicine Mountain to the site of the Medicine Wheel.

Erected by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bighorn National Forrest.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.

Location. 44° 48.582′ N, 107° 50.484′ W. Marker is near Lovell, Wyoming, in Big Horn County. It is on U.S. 14A at milepost

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79 near Forest Road 130, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lovell WY 82431, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Gold Fever (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Medicine Wheel (approx. 2.9 miles away); a different marker also named Medicine Wheel (approx. 2.9 miles away); Five Springs (approx. 3.7 miles away); Welcome to the Medicine Wheel (approx. 4.1 miles away); Bighorn Basin (approx. 4.6 miles away); Big Horn Basin (approx. 4.6 miles away); Reconstruction - Finally! (approx. 6½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lovell.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Mystery Shrouds the Medicine Wheel (was approx. 4.1 miles away but has been permanently removed).

More about this marker. This marker is approximate 21 miles west to Burgess Junction and just east of the turn-off for the Bald Mountain campground.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 14, 2015

2. Medicine Wheel Marker

This marker is on the left.

The Bighorn Medicine Wheel at Summer Solstice Sunrise. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Stanford Solar Center

3. The Bighorn Medicine Wheel at Summer Solstice Sunrise.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on December 7, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 775 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 7, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.