This is one of my favorite figures pecked along the Hidden Valley trail near Moab. I have visited this site multiple times and look forward to returning again in the future. It’s a great hike!
Couple
Two interesting anthropomorphs behind a few boulders along the Three Kings Trail on the McConkie Ranch near vernal, Utah. I refer to this pair as ‘The Couple’ though it’s not an official name.
Price River Boulder
On Saturday I took my inflatable kayak through part of Gray Canyon on the Green River from Nefertiti to Swaseys Rapid. It was a nice relaxing day on the river, and I also got to find some new rock art, plus revisit some sites I have been to before. I have been to this large boulder containing a few pretty large petroglyphs before, but I can never pass up the opportunity to revisit a site when I am near.
In Between
This anthropomorph along the Three Kings Trail on the McConkie Ranch is pecked into a dark colored sandstone which seems to be squeezed between a lighter sandstone and colorful lichen covered stone.
High Tower
On my way to Canyonlands and Horse Canyon last weekend, I stopped to find a ruin that I have driven by many times before yet had never been able to find. This time I managed to spot it high above the canyon floor so that I could get a photo. I didn’t have time to hike up to it, but I did take this photo with my long lens from far below.
Three Warriors
We sure did see a lot of ‘faces’ pictographs last weekend in Canyonlands National Park. Besides the Thirteen Faces and Nine Faces panels, we also found the Eleven Faces. While there may have been Eleven Faces in this panel at one point in time, eight of them are really still visible. The three figures in the photo above were the three rightmost faces in the panel. Unfortunately, calcite has been leaching from the sandstone that these pictographs were painted on, so much of it has been covered in the white substance, making it difficult to photograph. I did my best to bring out the details in this photo.
Nine Faces
Besides visiting the Thirteen Faces pictographs last weekend, we also managed to find the Nine Faces. These ghostly figures are all white and not as colorful, but there are at least nine of them that are still visible!
High Five Panel
I first noticed this high pictograph panel in May when I backpacked to Peekaboo Spring in Salt Creek Canyon. Since I didn’t have my long lens on that trip (too much weight), I couldn’t get a decent photo of the panel. Since I was able to drive to Peekaboo this last weekend I was able to get a closer photo of this very interesting panel. I took this photo just after sunrise when the early morning light was striking it directly for only a few moments.
Besides the very vivid reverse handprints and white zig-zag snakes, there is also an interesting large circular figure and two half circles that seem to have faded. Below those are a large white snake that is also pretty faded. The most interesting aspect of these pictographs is that they are painted very high up on a cliff with no current access to reach them…and we did try to find a way.
Six of Thirteen
I just got back from a very humid weekend spent exploring Horse Canyon in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. I’ve been trying to get back into Horse Canyon for the last two years but the road has been washed out and closed for that long. When I received word a few weeks ago that the road had finally been reopened, I wasted no time and planned a trip out there…who knows when the next storm will close the road again? One of the main reasons to get back into Horse Canyon was so that I could finally visit the famous Thirteen Faces pictograph panel. This photo shows six of the Thirteen Faces, although you can really only see ten of the faces to begin with.
I’ll be posting more photos from this trip over the next week or two, so keep watching for them.
Buffalo Panel
While searching for rock art in Montezuma Canyon last year I came across this nice panel of petroglyphs depicting a group of buffalo and elk. Following the animals are a few riders on horseback that appear to be pecked in a Ute style similar to the Wolfe Panel in Arches National Park.
Wavy Arms Guy
A fun little pictograph that I visited on a hike during a snowstorm in the San Rafael Swell. Luckily it was under a large overhang where I could get out of the snow and take a few photos.
Lone Man
A lone petroglyph pecked at the edge of a patch of desert varnish. This little guy is found among many other unique petroglyphs in Shay Canyon.
Red Bear Panel in Black & White
Here’s a large panel of red pictographs found on Cedar Mesa known as the Red Bear Panel. When I first came across this impressive panel, I was surprised as just how large the bear in the middle was. This photo doesn’t do it’s size justice. While bear petroglyphs are pretty common around Western Colorado and the Moab area, I can’t recall seeing any other bear imagery on Cedar Mesa before?
The Notch Panel
The Notch Panel is one of my favorite petroglyphs panels near the Utah – Arizona state line. I took this photo close to sunset so the direct golden light would help bring out the figures. The puffy clouds in the blue sky were a bonus! The maze-like design and two-headed snake are very unique and what sets this panel apart from others.
The Golden Granary
A small and little-known granary hidden on Cedar Mesa. The afternoon light reflects off the sandstone below and bathes this well-preserved ruin in golden light.
