The Trek in a snapshot
Location
St. George, Utah
Managing Agency
BLM
Pets
Allowed
Fees
None
Restrooms
None
Camping
Not allowed
Trail Condition
Dirt, rock, and sand mix. The trail gets steeper as you get close to the pictograph
Sights
A very large red pictograph
Water Info
Bring 2 liters of water per person
Best Season
Winter, Spring, Fall. Summer is very hot so do it in the morning or evening
Distance
2.4 miles roundtrip
Time Required
2+ hours
Parking Elevation
2943 ft
Summit Elevation
3135 ft
Elevation Difference
192 ft
Trek Planner Maps
Trek Planner Insider Members Only!
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Trek Planner Insider Members Only!
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Experience. Discover. Explore.
Follow along on our adventure then go out on your own!
This is relatively an easy adventure to a very large amazing pictograph near St. George Utah. The pictograph is named because it’s a depiction of a large human-like figure (anthropomorph) painted in red.
The trailhead winds through a narrow canyon that sometimes has running water in it. We found a large pool that would be great for swimming…if we were desperate to cool down in the summer! The water was murky and probably has lots of mosquitoes and bugs living in it.
The trail went under and over bushes and trees, but overall it wasn’t too bad. If you can’t stoop or bend over, then this adventure might not be for you. But at the same time, we found plenty of side-trails that we could follow to get around some of the bending down.
After a little ways the trail will leave the creek bed and continue down the small valley. Since we knew we were hiking to a pictograph, we were trying to imagine why people would choose to live in or visit this location. Why would they choose to paint this very large red pictograph high up on the cliffs? It made us wonder what else was around here waiting to be discovered.
Eventually we could see where the pictograph was located high in an alcove. The trail zigzagged up the hill to the alcove and we stopped many times for water breaks! The trail isn’t too steep, but we chose to hike in the middle of the day (not a great idea!) and we were sweating petty good!
We finally saw it! The pictograph is several feet tall and is a depiction of an anthropomorph with its arms and legs stretched out. I couldn’t really tell if the figure was wearing a headdress or helmet of some kind, but its head is huge! It’s probably hundreds or even a thousand years old! Seeing this lone figure way up here makes you wonder what the original authors wanted to portray. We loved this pictograph! And the shade provided a chance for us to relax and enjoy the views and rock art. I think this is the largest single pictograph I have ever seen!
It’s important to remember to never touch pictographs or petroglyphs. Your hands have oils that can damage the pigment and leave it forever changed. Please admire with your eyes and camera and pick up some trash along the way back home like we did!
Here are a few more pictures for Insider members.
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Personal Thoughts
If you love rock art, then you will love this adventure!