Petroglyph Park ~ Maturango Museum

00:00     Title
00:08     Red Rock Canyon State Park - California
03:53     Mojave Airplane Graveyard
04:32     Petroglyph Park - Matarango Museum - China Lake Museum
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Downtown Ridgecrest has two noteworthy points of interest and these attractions are conveniently located side by side. The Matarango Museum & Petroglyph Park is located next door to the China Lake Museum, so a very lengthy timeline of human history can be experienced between these two cultural centers. The Black Mountain Region has been occupied for well over 8,000 years and there is a lot of ancient rock art to see in the hills. Petroglyph Park showcases the inscriptions found in this region and the Matarango Museum provides information about where to view the ancient artwork. 

The Black Mountain Rock Art District does spill over into the naval base grounds and some of the most pristine petroglyph examples can be found in a remote area of China Lake. Public tours of the China Lake petroglyphs were able to be booked in the past at the Matarango Museum, but whether the tours are still offered is unknown. All China Lake petroglyph site visitors must pass Department Of Defense security clearance ahead of time and visitors are escorted every step of the way, since this is an active military base. This tour is worth looking into, because traditionally it has only been offered on a limited basis and you may have a chance to be one of the lucky few.