The Boars Tusk is a prominent landmark for those traveling through the northern section of the Red Desert. The feature is what remains of an old volcano and rises about 400' above the surrounding Killpecker Creek Plain and dunes desert that surrounds it. The volcano has been dated to about 2.5 million years ago. The millennia have slowly worn down the Boars Tusk to its current size. It is composed of a brittle rock, Lamproite, that is a fairly uncommon volcanic rock.

Being prominent in the landscape gave it significance both today and in more ancient times. Modern hikers and travelers use it as a reference point when exploring that area of the red desert, as surely ancient people did. The Red Desert was home to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes, who's cultures had lore around the Boars Tusk. In Northern Arapaho, the Boars Tusk is called The Parents because of how it resembles two people from certain perspectives.