Exploring Wyoming’s Most Sacred Sites

When visiting Wyoming, it is often fun and interesting to know where the sites are that would be considered "sacred." There is no way to mention all of them, but the list below will offer up a few key sites to see when exploring the Cowboy State.

Most sacred sites are thought to be so because of the Northern Plains Indigenous peoples, including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Crow, and Shoshone. Major sites include Devils Tower (Bear Lodge), the Bighorn Medicine Wheel, petroglyph sites like Legend Rock, and sacred landscapes such as Inyan Kara Mountain and Crowheart Butte.

Key Indigenous Sacred Sites in Wyoming:

Devils Tower National Monument (Bear Lodge): Known as Mato Tipila (Bear Lodge) to many tribes, this 867-foot rock formation is a major site for sun dances, vision quests, and prayer bundle offerings. It is believed by the Cheyenne to be the final resting place of Sweet Medicine.

Bighorn Medicine Wheel: Located in the Bighorn National Forest, this is one of the most preserved and important Native American sacred sites in North America. It is a large, circular stone formation on Medicine Mountain used for7,000 years.

Legend Rock Petroglyphs:  Situated near Thermopolis, this site features 92 prehistoric petroglyph figures, including depictions of Water Ghost Beings, and has been sacred for thousands of years.

Inyan Kara Mountain:  Located in the Black Hills, this site is considered sacred by the Lakota, particularly for spiritual purposes related to childbirth.

Crowheart Butte: A historically significant site in the Wind River Basin, it is used for vision quests and holds strong spiritual and cultural value for the Shoshone.

Castle Gardens Petroglyphs: Located near Riverton, this site features ancient carvings, including turtles and shields, dating back over a thousand years.

White Mountain Petroglyphs:  Located near Rock Springs, these petroglyphs show figures of bison, elk, and horses, representing over 1,000 years of use by various tribes.