Not far from South Phoenix, the Hieroglyphic Trail in the Superstition Mountains takes hikers into the Hieroglyphic Canyon on the south side of the Mountains. Hieroglyphic Trail In The Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction Don’t expect all the petroglyphs to be marked however, most have a fence in front and a note asking visitors not to touch them.Ībbie Warnock-Matthews / 4. Pro Tip: Use a map when looking for the trails, since they may start at different trailheads, some far apart from each other, off different roads throughout Southern Phoenix. Others are along the Judith Tunnel accessible trail, Telegraph Pass Trail, Kiwanis Trail, Mormon Loop Trail, Desert Classic, Mormon Trail, and Holbert Trail. A few of the most easily accessible petroglyphs are along a short, flat trail off the Pima Canyon trailhead. You’ll find petroglyphs along many of the trails in South Mountain, some easy and short, others strenuous and long. They are representations of animals, birds, people, geometric shapes, and lines. The mountains were most likely sacred to them, as they still are for their descendants, so the petroglyphs most likely marked important places and activities. Their villages were nearby, and archaeologists believe they used the mountains for hunting, gathering, and other resources. Most of these petroglyphs are the work of the Hohokam. Along with the unique desert wilderness, the park showcases and protects thousands of petroglyphs. South Mountain Park And Preserve, Phoenixįeaturing over 16,000 acres of wilderness and over 50 miles of trails in the center of Phoenix, South Mountain Park and Preserve is one of the largest municipal parks in the U.S. And, if you’d like to see more, even some not open to the public, you can take a ranger-led petroglyph hike, starting at the visitor center. You can find other petroglyph sites through the park, along the Black Rock Loop Trail, the Wadell, and Goat Canyon Trails. Past Petroglyph Plaza, the trail narrows and becomes slightly steeper, and though other petroglyphs are harder to see, if you look, you can still find several on both sides of the trail all the way to the seasonal waterfall at the end. Signs in front of the petroglyph-filled boulders go into some detail about the prehistory of the park, offering a background to the images you see. Just a few feet into the easy, mile-long trail, you’ll see a concentration of petroglyphs at Petroglyph Plaza. The easiest way to see several of them is to take the Waterfall Trail. They help archaeologists reveal some of the oldest histories in the world. Some of them date from tens of thousands of years ago, while others from a more recent past. They are pictures or symbols left on rock surfaces by members of traditional cultures. They all represent a glimpse into the past, an ancient art gallery we can enjoy in every corner of the state.Ĭreated by removing the outer surface of rocks to reveal a lighter layer of the rock underneath, petroglyphs are the type of rock art that survives centuries. Some of these sites may have sacred meaning, others represent daily activities and surrounding nature, while others are so abstract scientists have not found their meanings yet. You can find thousands of petroglyphs and rock art sites in every corner of the state, from the center of Phoenix to the most remote areas. Arizona has a rich and ancient cultural history, and petroglyphs and other forms of rock art make up a record of the daily lives of ancient native civilizations of the area. And people from ancient times have left signs of their existence, not only in cliff dwellings and other ruins throughout the state but also on the face of rocks scattered all over the desert. state only since 1912, people have been living here for thousands of years.
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