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.
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?