The Lightning Field is a land art work by Walter De Maria in Catron County, New Mexico, 11.5 miles (18.5 kilometers) east of the Continental Divide at an elevation of 7,200 feet. It was completed in 1977. The Dia Art Foundation maintains it as one of its sites.
The work is a grid of 400 stainless steel poles with solid, pointed tips, each 2 inches in diameter. The grid measures 1 mile by 1 kilometer, and the poles stand 220 feet apart. Their heights vary from 15 feet to 26 feet 9 inches, which creates an even tip line across the land. Each pole sits in a concrete footing 3 feet deep, built to withstand winds up to 110 miles (180 kilometers) an hour.
Visits need an advance reservation and include an overnight stay in a log cabin on site. It is open six months of the year, and camping is not permitted. Despite the title, lightning strikes are rare.
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