These petroglyphs were spotted up a dry wash, not far from the Holbert Trail and the first parking lot after entering South Mountain Park. A short hike will bring you to some great petroglyphs, showing “pipettes”, big horn ram, lizards, humans, and more.
Coordinates: N33 20.882 W112 04.331
Painted Rocks is a collection of hundreds of ancient petroglyphs in Maricopa County, Arizona near the town of Theba. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The petroglyphs are located within the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site which includes an improved campground as well as an informative walking trail showcasing the petroglyphs. The site is operated and maintained by the United States Bureau of Land Management.
An awe-inspiring sight, petroglyphs etched in multiple styles across thousands of years completely cover the North-East side of a pile of boulders. This is an interesting juxtaposition to the South-East side, which is almost entirely empty of rock art.
This large boulder, covered in petroglyphs, is easily accessible from the Pima Canyon Entrance to South Mountain Park. It can be found by parking at the end of East Pima Canyon road and taking the Desert Classic Trail south for a couple hundred feet.
The boulder has a wide variety of geometric and anthropomorphic shapes competing for space. In the center, a vertical, three-tiered structure points to a spiral pattern at the very top.
Coordinates: 33.361694, -111.984469
These petroglyphs were found after walking up a large wash next to the Heard Scout Pueblo. It was a difficult hike, as opposed to taking the trail, but the reward was worth it. A large amount of petroglyphs could be seen on the walls of the wash. Clearly this was once a spot where, at one time, both people and animals congregated regularly to take advantage of a water source.
Stay tuned for more posts featuring the petroglyphs in South Mountain Park.
Both photos and longitude/latitude coordinates are provided, with a Google Map at the bottom.
Coordinates: N 33 21.564′ W 112 02.586′
Coordinates: N 33 21.449′ W 112 02.569′
Coordinates: N 33 21.393 W 112 02.514
View Hiking Route – 2/3/13 in a larger map
These petroglyphs are located at the end of the Hieroglyphics Trail, a short 1.1 mile hike from the trailhead near Gold Canyon, Arizona. The drawings surround the sides of Hieroglyphs Spring, underneath Superstition Mountain. Many are very clear and detailed.
Information about this site in Hiking Ruins Seldom Seen
Superstition wilderness area Forest Service website – contains a PDF with information about Heiroglyphics Trail.
