Sunday, September 15 – We took the weekend off from hiking. Saturday it rained most of the day and many roads and trails were closed. Sunday we went on the Moab Area Rock Art Tour. This turned into an unexpected delightful day! Be sure to pick up the pamphlet of the self-guided tour at the visitor's center in town.
The petroglyph or rock art are produced by a number of prehistoric people over thousands of years. The petroglyph found in the Moab area are believed to date as far back as the Archaic Period (5500 BC to AD 1).
The drive down Kane Creek Blvd. to the art site was amazing. The road begins in town at the McDonalds and soon after leaving the city turns into a dirt road following the Colorado River. Off road Jeeps and other 4-wheelers frequently passed or met us along the way. The road has areas widened for passing which made it easy going, even for our dually pickup truck.
About 2.5 miles out of town we came to the first rock art – Moon Flower Canyon. The site it behind a protective fence to protect the art of vandals. (Why would anyone destroy these sites?) There are people figures, bighorn sheep and a number of abstract elements. The panel is from ground level to a height of about 12 feet.
About 1.2 miles from Moon Flower is a huge rock covered with art. There are bighorn sheep, snakes, human forms and a trail.
After another 1.7 miles, we found a large boulder that sits between the road and the Colorado River with rock art on all four sides.
The well known “birthing scene” is found on this rock.
Various animal forms, centipedes, a horse, bear paws and a snake are other features found at this site. A guy riding a bike past us said they call it "newspaper rock."
Driving down the road an older gentleman and a lady in an old pickup stopped and asked if we were lost or needed directions. We told them we were looking at the art. They gave us some directions to help find additional art and invited us to visit the man's adobe structures built under a rock overhang. What a friendly gesture!
Our last stop was on the South side of town only about a mile from our campground. It is known as the Golf Course Rock Art because it is located across a small road from the golf course. The art is found on a boulder cliff along the road to some new and beautiful adobe homes. This art depicted human figures – such as “Moab Man”, elk, canines, and bighorn sheep.
A popularly referred to imagine is known as the reindeer & sled. Looks a lot like Santa and the gang... :-)
It was a fun trip and an enjoyable couple of hours we would recommend to others when in the Moab, UT, area. A little “art appreciation” among the beautiful red rock canyons.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!
