Roadside Petroglyphs ~ Dinosaur National Monument

 
There are several ancient rock art sites to be found in Dinosaur National Monument. Some are located in the Colorado back country and several are located on the Utah side of the line, so it will take several days to see them all in this big park. One of the easiest to access ancient petroglyph sites is located a short distance east of the Dinosaur Quarry Visitor in Jensen, Utah on Cub Creek Road. The Roadside Petroglyphs only require a short walk over a smooth path to access, which is kind of a rarity, because most petroglyph locations require a long bumpy Jeep ride, a strenuous hike or rock climbing to get a closer look. Reading an age old newspaper rock simply does not get any easier than this, so be sure make note of this spot so it is not passed by when touring the park!

Members of the Fremont Tribe created rock art throughout this region long ago and their distinct style of depicting triangular human body shapes is fairly easy to recognize. Other tribal klans left their marks too and depending on the age of the inscription, a lot can be learned about seasonal migrations and local settlements by tracing the steps from one ancient newspaper rock to the next. Local wild game resources and terrain maps are most often depicted, while other rock artwork forms may represent something intangible, like cosmic events, seasonal calendars or even displays of a big pow wow. There are even rock art carvings that look like star people or extraterrestrial beings, which is also part of native lore.

The Roadside Petroglyphs is not a large site, yet there are numerous ancient rock art carvings to view. This small petroglyph panel has a long timeline and several different artistic styles can be seen. There are a few of the weird looking characters that may look like aliens to television viewers, so definitely do not to pass up the chance to spin the old ancient alien yarns while there. The ancient rock art certainly was a form of communication and all it takes is one look to find plenty to talk about!