Medicine Wheel Passage Scenic Byway

From the Ancients, Preserved in Time

Thousands of feet atop northern Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains lies an 80-foot-circular mystery made of stone. There are as many legends surrounding its origin as there are theories regarding its purpose. The Bighorn Medicine Wheel was and continues to be a powerful and sacred place for Native Americans of dozens of different tribes throughout history. The best way to view this archeological wonder is on the Medicine Wheel Passage, a 27-mile route through the Bighorn National Forest. An ancient trail leads to the ceremonial site, but know that a visit to the Wheel calls for a moment of reverence, a time to slow down and connect with a culture that may be unlike your own. Wind through steep canyon terrains, watch as the sagebrush-covered desert turns into dense mountain forest, and breath fresh alpine air as prayer cloths wave in the Medicine Mountain winds. The Bighorn Medicine Wheel is one of the largest and best-preserved medicine wheels on the northern Plains, and no drive along the Medicine Wheel Passage is complete without a visit to this important and spiritual site.