Ash Springs Rock Art Site ~ Nevada

There are several ancient rock art panels in the Pahranagat Valley region of Nevada and one of the easiest to access is the Ash Springs Rock Art Site. The community of Ash Springs is only a few miles north of Alamo and the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge on Highway 93, but the rock art site is not well marked, so plotting this landmark on a map or GPS device is best to do. Ash Springs is one of four major freshwater springs that feed the Pahranagat Lakes and this water resource is located just a few hundred yards north of the rock art access point. A large ranch house property is located next to the pond and next door is a stretch of BLM land that is fenced off with barbed wire. A cattle gate serves as the entranceway and the gate must be closed after passing through. From this point. a field of large boulders can be seen on a gentle slope and this is where the ancient rock art can be found.

There are small trail marker signs throughout the Ash Springs Rock Art Site, but often the petroglyphs will come into view long before the little signs are seen. Basically, this native sacred place is vast stone garden with all sorts of ancient messages inscribed on nearly every big boulder. Most of the petroglyphs in this area read like a visitor guide, because they describe the wild game and other resources to be found in the Pahranagat area. In fact, similar messages can be found further north in the massive Crystal Wash rock outcrop boulders, so the rock art in this region definitely is one of the world's oldest tourism guides. Pahranagat compares to an oasis in the very harsh Great Basin Desert environment, so it is easy to see why so much informative rock art can be found in this unique place. Wandering around the Ash Springs Rock Art Site boulders on foot is a great way to spend the cool morning hours, so be sure log this destination high on the list when planning a tour of the Pahranagat Valley!