The Big Buffalo Panel near the confluence of Cottonwood Canyon and Nine Mile Canyon. I visited this one shortly before the sun dropped down below the rim of the canyon walls above. The bottom portion of this large panel is fading away with time, but the Big Buffalo and other figures higher off the ground remain and are still in good condition. There are many other unique and interesting panels in the area, including the well-known Great Hunt Panel.
The famous Wolfe Ranch Petroglyphs located in Arches National Park. These historic Ute petroglyphs are in excellent condition and easily accessible on the hike to Delicate Arch.
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.
This historical and beautifully incised horse is carved right above the very colorful lichen on this sandstone wall. It is believed that this horse was most likely created by a Ute which may depict their encounters with the U.S. Calvary. The number ‘8’ on the front hip of the horse is most likely a brand that has been traced back to General Crook’s command, who was chasing the Apache through Arizona and New Mexico in the late 1800s. It’s possible this carving may be of a captured horse.
While visiting this site, the biting gnats were terrible! If I stopped moving for more than a few seconds they swarmed around me and were unbearable. As I searched the area I was lucky to find a few of the petroglyphs, including this one, and managed to pull off a few photos before the bugs overran me. I’m sure I missed some petroglyphs at this site since I had to keep moving, so I will need to return another time to finish exploring.
