Ancestral Puebloan Petroglyphs - Mesa Verde National Park, CO
Posted by: 
cldisme
N 37° 10.388 W 108° 29.569
12S E 722591 N 4117022
A set of petroglyphs can seen while hiking the Petroglyph Point Trail.
Waymark Code: WM94Q0
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 06/28/2010
Views: 15
The highlight of the challenging 2.8 mile Petroglyph Point Trail is - of course - the petroglyphs.
Beginning at the
Chapin Mesa Museum, the trail shares space with the Spruce Tree House Trail for a short while before branching southward towards the petroglyphs.
The petroglyphs have symbols for the creation, various clans and kivas, and other important points in their history.
Unfortunatly, previous visitors to this site have added their own mark to the cliff wall over the years. A trail guide available for 50 cents is highly recommended to discover which petroglyphs are original and which are graffiti. Not only does the guide have an explaination of the petroglyphs, but it also describes the geology and plant life at various
numbered stations along the trail.
Access to Petroglyph Point Trail is only available when
Spruce Tree House is open. Please ask a ranger if the trail is open and when the trail will be closed for the day (it took us over two hours to complete the loop, so plan accordingly).
Because of the
challenging nature of the trail, signing in at the trail registration station is required. This is not a flat, paved trail so open-toed or high-heeled footwear is not appropriate. Drinking water and bathroom facilities are not available along the trail. Please use the bathroom facilities across the parking lot from the museum before leaving and bring plenty of water along for each member of your hiking party (1 liter per person was barely enough for us on a sunny June day with temperatures around 85°F/30°C).
Visit Instructions:1. You may log as many different waymarks as you wish but you may only log each one once.
2. You must include a close up photo of the pictograph and your GPSr. The pictograph must be recognizable.
3. Tell a little bit about what you learned of the area.