Thursday, November 22, 2012

Impressive Rock Art In Snow Canyon



I enjoyed hiking in Snow Canyon last weekend and we did find a very interesting panel of ancient Native American rock art. The patterns carved into this particular rock are unique and interesting – well worth the trouble to search it out.
After raining off and on all morning, the precipitation stopped just before we started hiking. The sky became partly cloudy and it was warm. The sand was damp but that did not inhibit hiking, in fact it helped us gain footholds. It was a very nice mid-November day.

I was chasing down a lead about a large panel of rock art just west of The Ledges Golf Course and associated sub division. Just south of the Ledges, a road provides access to a right-of-way that allows hikers to move between tracts of private property and into Snow Canyon State Park. We followed that easement and then followed the eastern edge of the park up until we were on the west edge of The Ledges sub division. We then hiked west to the prominent rock where we found the ancient carvings.

This particular panel is in open country above a steep, twisting canyon complex. On a previous trip we had found rock art in a narrow slow down in the bottom of the canyon.

Talking to other hikers, we were told about the rock art panel above the canyon. One hiker mentioned a cove which he said was full of rock art, near to the slab above the canyon. We searched in that area without finding it. That country is big and rugged, and a cove with rock art could be difficult to find. Still, I'm questioning its existence because I've been hiking there for many years, talking to many people, and this one guy is the only one who has mentioned it.

At this point I've found three panels of rock art images in Snow Canyon. One is adjacent to the state park campground. Find the campsite on the north edge of the campground and look for the rock art on the cliffs adjacent to that site.

The second panel is in a very narrow slot at the bottom of the canyon complex SW of The Ledges, on the east side of the park.

And the final panel, the subject of this particular excursion, is on the rim above that canyon complex.

Snow Canyon is a great winter hiking destination. I may get back down there and poke around looking for the mystery cove, just because it is such a great hiking area.

- Dave Webb

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