Looking up at a few smaller petroglyph panels on the McConkie Ranch located near Vernal, Utah. One of my friends said the circular shield-like figures visible in this photo reminded him of gears, which is where the name for this photo came from. These are only a couple of the many petroglyph panels you can find on the trail to the Three Kings Panel.
Of the many interesting petroglyphs I have visited along Indian Creek, this is one that really stands out in my mind. It appears to be a Fremont-styled anthropomorph with another figure inside of the torso…or maybe it’s just decoration? Either way, it’s a very unique petroglyph.
There is a reason I am posting this photo of a large petroglyph near Moab right after posting the Quail Panel earlier. It’s because this petroglyph strongly resembles the ‘shield’ figures found in the Quail Panel over 80 miles away…only much larger! Go ahead and compare! Of course, this one is much larger and pecked instead of painted, but the resemblance is uncanny. This large shield-like figure also has a smaller anthropomorph and part of a bighorn sheep inside of it. While there are quite a few other petroglyph panels found near this one, this one stands out the most for it’s uniqueness.
One of the many scenes found on Newspaper Rock along Indian Creek on your way to Canyonlands. The hunter on horseback appears to have just shot an arrow at a deer or an elk and hit their target. I love visiting this site and seem to stop at it at least a few times each year. It always seems like I discover something new on this panel every time I visit.
Here’s another of the rock art panels I visited this last Saturday in the San Rafael Swell, known as the Cowboy’s Secret. This is an amazing petroglyph panel hidden among many large boulders with a great view of the surrounding area. The main figure kind of reminds me of The Guardian figure painted in Canyon Pintado of Colorado which makes me believe that this could be of Fremont origin. The large snakes carved in the stone above frame this figure nicely.
