Petroglyph Canyon
Short, partly wooded ravine along Hwy 9 on the east side of Zion NP, containing one panel of somewhat faded petroglyphs, and some red rock passageways
Length: 0.3 miles, to the dryfall
Elevation change: 30 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Type: One way
Usage: Low to medium
Season: All year
Trailhead: Pullout on the south side of Hwy 9
Rating (1-5): ★★★★★
Elevation change: 30 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Type: One way
Usage: Low to medium
Season: All year
Trailhead: Pullout on the south side of Hwy 9
Rating (1-5): ★★★★★
Zion National Park is not a particularly noted place for rock art, perhaps because the many cliffs and canyons make the area difficult to traverse and inhabit. The best known of the limited number of sites is along Hwy 9 on the east side of the park, in one of the several dozen side canyons of Clear Creek, known unofficially as Petroglyph Canyon. Adjacent drainages are Keyhole Canyon to the east, a semi-technical slot, and Many Pools Canyon to the west.
Just 0.2 miles from the road, in an alcove at the base of a sheer, east-facing cliff, is an extended petroglyph panel containing several dozen individual designs, the majority quite thick in style, faded and somewhat corroded, suggesting they are very old, but still impressive, despite the weathering.
Guidelines for visiting archaeological sites
Petroglyph Canyon, which is not signposted, is 2.6 miles west of the east Zion entrance station and 5.5 miles east of the east end of the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel. Parking is available close by at a pull-out to the east, on the south side of the road, just as the highway makes a tight U-shaped bend, mirroring the course of Clear Creek to the south. The canyon may be entered by walking along the road for 300 feet then down a slope to the streambed, or down the slope right behind the parking place, also to the streambed, and following this north, under the road via a tunnel.
The lower end of Petroglyph Canyon is fairly wide and open, with a few tall pine trees, then very soon, a big cliff rises on the left, at the base of which is the rock art panel, protected by a low wooden fence and identified by a notice advising people not to touch or otherwise interfere with the glyphs. Designs here include bighorn sheep, human-like figures, spirals, concentric circles and zigzags. There is also a projecting rock face once used to sharpen tools, as evinced by a number of wide, parallel grooves. Beyond the panel the canyon narrows a little then ends in a pile of boulders beneath a dryfall, about a third of a mile from the road.
Just 0.2 miles from the road, in an alcove at the base of a sheer, east-facing cliff, is an extended petroglyph panel containing several dozen individual designs, the majority quite thick in style, faded and somewhat corroded, suggesting they are very old, but still impressive, despite the weathering.
Guidelines for visiting archaeological sites
Access
Petroglyph Canyon, which is not signposted, is 2.6 miles west of the east Zion entrance station and 5.5 miles east of the east end of the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel. Parking is available close by at a pull-out to the east, on the south side of the road, just as the highway makes a tight U-shaped bend, mirroring the course of Clear Creek to the south. The canyon may be entered by walking along the road for 300 feet then down a slope to the streambed, or down the slope right behind the parking place, also to the streambed, and following this north, under the road via a tunnel.
The Canyon
The lower end of Petroglyph Canyon is fairly wide and open, with a few tall pine trees, then very soon, a big cliff rises on the left, at the base of which is the rock art panel, protected by a low wooden fence and identified by a notice advising people not to touch or otherwise interfere with the glyphs. Designs here include bighorn sheep, human-like figures, spirals, concentric circles and zigzags. There is also a projecting rock face once used to sharpen tools, as evinced by a number of wide, parallel grooves. Beyond the panel the canyon narrows a little then ends in a pile of boulders beneath a dryfall, about a third of a mile from the road.
Petroglyph Canyon - Similar Hikes
All Contents © Copyright The American Southwest | Comments and Questions | Contribute | Affiliate Marketing Disclosure | Site Map