Medicine Mountain was named for the Medicine Wheel, a stone circle atop a ridge below the summit. Designated a National Historic Landmark, it remains a mystery because its builders and purpose are unknown. One theory holds 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 Indians' religious life, peaks of the Big Horn Mountains were objects of respect, and Indians journeyed into the mountain solitude to make or find their medicine. The wheel is an important symbol of Indian beliefs about man's relationship to the world. Modern Indians use the Medicine Wheel for religious ceremonies, and at times flags or offerings are left around it to signify that a ceremony has taken place. A gravel road leads up Medicine Mountain to the site of the Medicine Wheel.