Bear Butte

Bear Butte — Mathó Pahá in Lakota, meaning Bear Mountain — is a solitary igneous laccolith rising from the northeastern edge of South Dakota's Black Hills, designated a state park in 1961 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For the Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux it has been one of the most sacred sites in North America for centuries: tribal members from surrounding reservations still make pilgrimages to its slopes year-round, leaving tobacco pouches and prayer cloths and conducting ceremonies closed to outsiders. The tension between these living spiritual practices and pressure from Sturgis-area businesses to open the mountain to unrestricted tourism has reached the U.S. Supreme Court more than once. A well-maintained trail leads to the summit, offering sweeping views across the prairie — but visitors are asked to leave offerings untouched and to keep a respectful distance from any ceremonies in progress.