A few ‘glyph’ notes on Grapevine Canyon’s ancient rock art

Grapevine Canyon is 1 of the finest petroglyph sites successful Southern Nevada. It is besides 1 of the easiest to sojourn connected a time trip, located successful the confederate portion of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, adjacent Laughlin, and approachable by roads acceptable for rider cars. The abbreviated hike to the stone creation itself is easy.

The trailhead is located astatine an elevation of 2,385 feet truthful you tin expect temperatures to beryllium beauteous overmuch the aforesaid arsenic successful Las Vegas. Therefore this is an particularly bully excursion for a wintertime greeting — but hikers volition beryllium exposed to the prima and should deterioration hats and sunglasses and bring each their ain supplies and water.

From the parking area, locomotion up the gravel way astir 1 4th of a mile on the sandy seat towards the evident rima of Grapevine Canyon. On your close volition beryllium Grapevine Wash, usually adust but aft a rainstorm. When you get to the canyon opening, commencement looking connected the boulders and cliffs and you volition spot dozens of petroglyphs. They are much heavy concentrated connected the close side.

Petroglyphs were made by prehistoric radical who hammered oregon scraped distant the earthy godforsaken varnish, exposing the lighter colour beneath, and creating long-lasting designs. You volition spot galore antithetic forms here, including abstract symbols whose meanings stay mysteries, and depictions of wildlife specified arsenic bighorn sheep and lizards. Native Americans spent clip successful this country by A.D. 1100; immoderate of the stone creation present is believed to beryllium much than 800 years aged and immoderate arsenic caller arsenic 150 years.

As the canyon narrows the petroglyphs are not arsenic concentrated. After astir 30 yards from the rima of the canyon, casual advancement is blocked by ample boulders and a dryfall. This marks the extremity of the hike for astir people, particularly those with tiny children, but adults with immoderate other vigor and rock-scrambling skills tin proceed up and over. I person recovered the close broadside to beryllium easier, but usage caution, arsenic it is steep and the granite tin beryllium slippery, particularly connected the return.

Once implicit the immense boulders you tin driblet backmost down into the drainage of the hanging canyon, supra the dryfall. There are not galore petroglyphs successful this conception but the scenery is pretty, though determination are areas that are choked with precocious concentrations of canyon grapes, and determination is often a tiny creek with moving water. Cottonwoods and willows grow, and adjacent cattails and rushes successful spots. To proceed upstream you volition person to transverse the creek occasionally. About a mile from the rima of Grapevine Canyon you volition find a constrictive yet low-wall slot canyon worthy walking done until it gets excessively constrictive to continue. This is simply a bully turnaround point.

Petroglyph sites are of spiritual value to Native Americans and irreplaceable technological and taste resources, deserving attraction and preservation. Never locomotion on, interaction oregon different disturb immoderate of the rocks oregon panels. Just the tiny magnitude of oils connected our tegument tin easy harm this fragile stone art. To debar the disrespect and information of climbing the rocks for a person look, bring binoculars.

Just northbound of this canyon is towering, granite-covered Spirit Mountain, oregon Avi Kwa’ Ame, astatine 5,639 feet the highest highest successful the Newberry Mountains. It is said to beryllium the spiritual birthplace of the Mojave People and is important successful the lore of each 12 Yuman-speaking radical of the little Colorado region. It is considered ineffable crushed and possibly 1 crushed wherefore determination are truthful galore petroglyphs successful Grapevine Canyon. The upland itself and its contiguous surroundings are connected the National Register of Historic Places, and a question is afoot to person the Biden medication spot a larger surrounding portion nether national extortion arsenic a nationalist monument.

If you go

From Las Vegas caput southbound toward Boulder City, past crook southbound connected U.S. 95 toward Searchlight. Drive 53 miles and spell near onto State Highway 163, toward Laughlin, and thrust 12.9 miles. Go near onto Christmas Tree Pass Road and travel this well-maintained gravel roadworthy for 1.8 miles, past crook near for parking area.