Sun Tunnels, Land art installation in Box Elder County, United States
Sun Tunnels is an art installation featuring four massive concrete cylinders positioned in an X pattern across the Great Basin Desert. The tunnels stretch approximately 86 feet in length, with perforations running through them that frame views of the sky above.
Artist Nancy Holt created Sun Tunnels between 1973 and 1976 as a monumental work in Utah's remote desert. The work emerged from an artistic movement exploring how large structures could frame both time and landscape for human experience.
The concrete cylinders feature perforations arranged to match star constellations: Draco, Perseus, Columba, and Capricorn. Visitors experience a direct link between the structures and the night sky when looking through these openings.
Reaching the site requires a vehicle suitable for rough dirt roads, and only high-clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended for safe travel. Visitors should bring ample water, food, and fuel, as no services exist nearby and the drive from town takes roughly an hour each way.
During summer and winter solstices, the rising and setting sun sends light through the tunnel perforations to create temporary patterns on the ground below. These annual moments reveal how the static concrete structure interacts with the sun's seasonal movement.
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