The Trek in a snapshot
Location
San Rafael Swell, Utah
Managing Agency
BLM
Pets
Allowed
Fees
None
Restrooms
None
Camping
Not allowed
Trail Condition
Good dirt and rock trail. Very short trail
Sights
Head of Sinbad pictographs
Water Info
Bring a liter of water per person. No water
Best Season
All
Distance
I hiked about 1/10 of a mile
Time Required
About 1 hour roundtrip from where you leave I-70
Parking Elevation
7078 ft
Summit Elevation
Varies slightly
Elevation Difference
Varies slightly
Trek Planner Maps
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Experience. Discover. Explore.
Follow along on our adventure then go out on your own!
A high-clearance vehicle with 4-wheel drive is recommended. I drove here in my low-clearance Impala with no problems. If there were recent rains or even snow, then I would only visit in a Jeep, truck, or ATV.
From I-70 you get off at the Temple Mt. Road and the Buckhorn Draw Road exit. Head south on Temple Mt. Road and follow my map below to the pictographs.
The Head of Sinbad Pictographs are a small group of painted pictographs located off of I-70 in the San Rafael Swell. Alltrails.com states that this is a 3.6 mile roundtrip hike, however, I drove just fine to the wooden fence making this less than 200 ft of walking. Not sure what they were talking about, but I could easily drive with my low-clearance vehicle to the site. If there were recent rains or even snow, it would be harder to drive close. A high clearance vehicle with 4-wheel drive would be preferable.
Note: Do not touch the rock art. It might be tempting to get very close, but please do not touch the rock art or carve your own name in the rock. These are located higher off the ground so it will keep most people from touching it.
These distinct red and white pictographs are quite eerie. A human-like figure is holding a snake while circular objects are on one side. Unfortunately, the meaning behind these has been completely lost, so we are left to speculate what was going on here. A common theme among many pictographs and petroglyphs including the Head of Sinbad, are snakes. I have seen snake petroglyphs from Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Arizona, and even Mexico.
One of the figures has a snake over its head. The other figure is holding a snake, and another figure has a snake going towards its head.
The level of detail on these petroglyphs is incredible. The original author(s) must have used fine brushes to create such clear brush strokes.
Personal Thoughts
There is something eerie about these faded red panels. They are in a quiet area and have sat undisturbed for hundreds of years.
[…] This is a fun little stop to a great pictograph! We don’t know much about this and other rock art in the area, but it’s probably over 1,000 years old like some of the others nearby. If you want to extend your stay and see some other great rock art, you should check out the Head of Sinbad Pictographs. […]