A geological laccolith rising 386 meters above the Belle Fourche River in northeastern Wyoming — the core of an ancient volcano exposed by 50 million years of erosion. Sacred to at least 20 Native American tribes, including the Lakota (who call it Mato Tipila, "Bear Lodge"), the Cheyenne, the Crow, and the Kiowa. The Kiowa origin story describes seven sisters fleeing a giant bear; the rock rose to protect them, and the bear's claw marks became the tower's iconic columnar basalt striations. Designated as America's first National Monument by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. The columns — some 2 meters in diameter — are the largest examples of columnar jointing in the world.
WikipediaStellar Alignments (55 stars)
| Star ▴ | Rise Az ▴ | Rise Δ ▴ | Set Az ▴ | Set Δ ▴ | Tradition ▴ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castor | 42.1° | 4.8° | 317.9° | 79.4° | |
| Vega | 28.4° | 8.9° | 331.6° | 65.7° | |
| Alpheratz | 46.9° | 9.7° | 313.1° | 84.2° | |
| Scheat | 48.6° | 11.3° | 311.4° | 85.9° | |
| Pollux | 48.7° | 11.4° | 311.3° | 86.0° | |
| Bharani (41 Arietis) | 50.0° | 12.7° | 310.0° | 87.3° | |
| Alphecca | 50.9° | 13.6° | 309.1° | 88.1° | |
| Algol | 23.0° | 14.3° | 337.0° | 60.3° | |
| Pleiades (Alcyone) | 55.0° | 17.7° | 305.0° | 92.3° | |
| Hamal | 56.0° | 18.7° | 304.0° | 93.3° | |
| Kornephoros | 59.0° | 21.8° | 301.0° | 96.3° | |
| Pushya (Gamma Cancri) | 59.1° | 21.8° | 300.9° | 96.4° | |
| Arcturus | 62.5° | 25.2° | 297.5° | 99.8° | |
| Aldebaran | 66.5° | 29.2° | 293.5° | 103.8° | |
| Alhena | 66.6° | 29.4° | 293.4° | 103.9° | |
| Markab | 68.4° | 31.1° | 291.6° | 105.7° | |
| Denebola | 69.3° | 32.0° | 290.7° | 106.6° | |
| Rasalgethi | 69.6° | 32.3° | 290.4° | 106.9° | |
| Deneb | 3.8° | 33.5° | 356.2° | 41.1° | |
| Rasalhague | 72.2° | 34.9° | 287.8° | 109.5° | |
| Regulus | 73.1° | 35.8° | 286.9° | 110.4° | |
| Vindemiatrix | 74.5° | 37.2° | 285.5° | 111.8° | |
| Enif | 76.1° | 38.8° | 283.9° | 113.3° | |
| Altair | 77.5° | 40.2° | 282.5° | 114.8° | |
| Betelgeuse | 79.6° | 42.3° | 280.4° | 116.9° | |
| Unukalhai | 81.0° | 43.7° | 279.1° | 118.3° | |
| Bellatrix | 81.1° | 43.8° | 278.9° | 118.4° | |
| Procyon | 82.7° | 45.4° | 277.3° | 120.0° | |
| Mintaka | 90.4° | 53.1° | 269.6° | 127.7° | |
| Sadalmelik | 90.5° | 53.1° | 269.6° | 127.7° | |
| Orion Belt (Alnilam) | 91.7° | 54.4° | 268.3° | 129.0° | |
| Alnitak | 92.7° | 55.4° | 267.3° | 130.0° | |
| Sadalsuud | 97.8° | 60.5° | 262.2° | 135.1° | |
| Rigel | 101.5° | 64.3° | 258.4° | 138.8° | |
| Alphard | 102.2° | 64.9° | 257.8° | 139.5° | |
| Zubeneschamali | 103.2° | 65.9° | 256.8° | 140.5° | |
| Saiph | 103.6° | 66.3° | 256.4° | 140.9° | |
| Spica | 105.8° | 68.5° | 254.2° | 143.1° | |
| Sabik | 112.4° | 75.1° | 247.6° | 149.7° | |
| Zubenelgenubi | 112.8° | 75.5° | 247.2° | 150.1° | |
| Sirius | 113.8° | 76.5° | 246.2° | 151.1° | |
| Murzim | 115.7° | 78.4° | 244.3° | 152.9° | |
| Diphda | 115.7° | 78.4° | 244.3° | 153.0° | |
| Nunki | 128.5° | 91.2° | 231.5° | 165.8° | |
| Wezen | 128.6° | 91.3° | 231.4° | 165.9° | |
| Antares | 128.7° | 91.4° | 231.3° | 166.0° | |
| Adhara | 132.8° | 95.6° | 227.2° | 170.2° | |
| Fomalhaut | 133.9° | 96.7° | 226.1° | 171.2° | |
| Phact | 141.9° | 104.6° | 218.1° | 179.2° | |
| Kaus Australis | 142.5° | 105.2° | 217.5° | 179.8° | |
| Menkent | 146.4° | 109.1° | 213.6° | 176.3° | |
| Shaula | 147.9° | 110.6° | 212.1° | 174.8° | |
| Naos | 154.5° | 117.2° | 205.5° | 168.2° | |
| Ankaa | 160.9° | 123.7° | 199.1° | 161.8° | |
| Suhail | 164.9° | 127.6° | 195.1° | 157.8° |
Related Sites — Ley Line — Earth Grid