Petroglyph National Monument is one of the best places to see Native American stone carvings. It’s amazing to see so many images carved in stones all in the same place. At first, you may not even see all the carvings, they will look like normal rocks. But once your eyes adjust and you know what to look for, you will notice that you are surrounded by them.
This is one of the few places where you can actually stand a few inches away from the carvings. Interpretation of these images is all up to you, this is a self guided walk and there are no markers to explain what you see. Consequently, the natives believe that the images reveal themselves when they are ready and for the right person. If you’re lucky, you may be enlightened and learn an ancient secret, if not, you’ll still get to see thousands of beautiful carvings.
It all started about 3000 years ago when ancient people started carving images in the volcanic stones located here. Between them and the early Spanish settlers, over 25,000 imagines were carved in the volcanic rocks here that were created when 6 volcanoes erupted approximately 200,000 years ago. Lava flowed in depths that ranged from 5-50 ft deep, everything was annihilated. But when life grew back, what was left was a canvas for ancient people to carve their secrets, knowledge and every day life that still survives today.
How were the Petroglyphs Created?
Since the rocks contains high concentrations of iron, manganese and calcium, this combined with harsh desert environments create a “desert varnish”. It makes the rocks black as the manganese and iron oxidize when they mix with oxygen and rain. Long ago people discovered that you can create lasting images by chipping this layer away to expose the grey rock underneath.
What do the Petroglyphs Mean?
There are thousands of petroglyphs in this area, they are very sacred to the native Plueboan people. Sadly the petroglyphs are only seen as images by the new generations and because of this a lot of them have been destroyed or relocated to a new areas. No one really knows what the images carved here really mean. Only the person who carved them knows their true meaning as nothing is documented about them.
They could have been maps or insight on the land and now we will never really know because a lot of them have been removed from their original location so that a highway could be built there instead. What’s even sadder is that the areas where these images are now located aren’t even monitored so a whole lot of vandalism takes place there. Please respect the worlds treasures and look, without leaving a trace. Since the manganese coating on the rocks is fragile, it does not react well with the oils found in our skin. Please do not touch the rocks. It will hurt the petroglyphs and you will be compromising the site for future generations.
Multiple locations
Petroglyph National Monument was created in 1990. It is maintained by the National Parks and the city of Albuquerque, it’s one of the few national parks that is maintained by both the parks and a city. There are four sites that you can visit, Boca Negra Canyon, Rinconada Canyon, Piedras Marcadas Canyon and the Volcano trails. I visited Piedras Marcadas Canyon, there’s about 400 petroglyphs at this site.
Hours
Open from sunrise to sunset.
Admission
Free
The only restrooms are located at the beginning of the trail. Make sure you plan ahead. Wear a hat, sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes, can’t say this enough, bring water and don’t forget your camera.
Dogs are welcome here but if you bring your pet, please pick up after them and make sure you bring water for them too.
Plan to be here at least two hours.
Trails
Boca Negra Canyons trail is 1.5 miles round trip, you’ll see about 400 petroglyphs along the way. It’s an easy hike but bring a lot of water! There’s no water available on site and it can get very hot in New Mexico.
Directions
Petroglyph National Monument
From Albuquerque, take exit 155 north on interstate 40. Turn left on Paseo del Norte. Then turn right on golf course road and look for the parking lot entrance on your left.
Accommodations
There are accommodations all over Santa Fe, New Mexico. Keep in mind that all hotels within the city limits will charge you for valet parking. There are no self parking hotels available. If you want a beautiful, comfortable hotel with lots of freebies within walking distance of all attractions. Book your night at the Drury Plaza Hotel. I loved my stay there, click here to read about it.
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