Rock Art

The Twins, Petroglyph

 

The area around Vernal is rich with Indian Rock Art.  One of the best places to see rock art is on the nearby McConkie Ranch. The owner of the ranch allows public access to this incredible historical resource. These Native American Petroglyphs (pictures chiseled into the rock) and Pictographs (pictures painted on to the rock) are world renowned.

The art is found all along a section of  200-foot-high “Navajo Formation” sandstone cliffs.  The figures in the art represent the Fremont culture, which flourished in this area from about 1,000 - 1200 A.D.  Little is known about the Fremont and what the figures mean. It is a mystery... 

The trail around the cliffs to view the petroglyphs was steep and rough in places. Several of the rock art figures were high on the cliffs and up to 9 feet tall.  It certainly would have been challenging for the Indian artists to make the art.  As we scrambled along the cliffs, there were many places we could have easily touched the rock art.  Thank goodness most visitors do respect the site.

 

Big Foot, Petroglyph with colored paint 

Besides checking out rock art, hiking and enjoying the turning aspens we also visited Dinosaur National Monument just 20 miles east of Vernal.  This is the only national park area set up to protect a historic dinosaur quarry.  Fossilized bones of crocodiles, turtles and 10 species of dinosaurs have been discovered in river sediment in the 150 million year old Morrison Formation. Many can be seen in the 'bone wall' in the Quarry Exhibit Hall.

But the park preserves more than dinosaur bones.  The Green and Yampa Rivers have carved deep and mysterious canyons revealing 23 different rock formations!  John Wesley Powell’s historic expedition navigated the Green River through much of what is now part of Dinosaur National Monument.  And there are many rock art sights throughout the monument.  We should have allowed more than a day to tour this very cool park.