According to our 1924 Baedeker guide to
Utah, the greatest, or at least most extensive, collection of
pre-historic rock art in North America is in Horseshoe Canyon, the
lesser known fourth unit of Canyonlands National Park. The Horseshoe
Canyon unit, which is miles apart from the Park itself, was brought
under NPS administration precisely to protect the four large and very
distinctive panels thought to have been done by the Archaic peoples,
that is, the North American natives well prior to the Anasazi and
later Pueblo peoples who are more or less “historic.” The age of
the art, according to our guide book, and in more recent stuff we
have read, is thought to be in the 2,000-8,000 year range. NPS puts it at 1,000-2,000 BC. Anyhow, that
would put them in the same range as the rock art we saw extensively
in Scandinavia six years ago, although those were primarily
rock-engravings. The art at Horseshoe Canyon is incised, but
interestingly and intricately painted. And spooky, too. Of course,
all this pales in comparison with the paleolithic rock art one sees
in France and Spain, which is much older and much more advanced,
artistically. But still, we wanted to get our boots on the ground in
one of these canyons, and the allure of very old rock art brought us
to Horseshoe.
 |
En route to Horseshoe Canyon: from Island in the Sky you go
east some miles, then north some miles on route 191 to I-70,
then west some miles, then south some miles on Utah route 24,
then east again some 32 miles on a gravel road, then south a
few miles on another gravel road, and then, bingo, you're there;
but getting there is only a part of the fun; above is the great
Green River as it passes through Green River, Utah; I have
always suspected that the Green is to the Colorado as the
Missouri is to the Mississippi: greater river to lesser river with
better PR department... |
 |
On the other hand, the fair city of Green River has placed a raw
sewage pumping station right on the river and directly adjacent
to a popular restaurant; what would John Wesley Powell have
thought? |
 |
Whatever; so now we are leaving the pavement and heading
for the canyon |
 |
| Despite all the helpful warning signs |
 |
Especially this one; if you are a GPS user, you must read this,
and laugh...click to enlarge |
 |
Finally, we have arrived at the primitive campground and are at
the trailhead kiosk, studying all the signage |
 |
Thus; despite all the cautions and warnings, it's really not all
that bad...the 32 miles off pavement was some of the best gravel
road we have driven, and the hike itself, although in ideal
weather, was only moderate in difficulty, if that |
 |
| Sunset sky the night before |
 |
The first mile or so of the hike takes you 600-700 feet down
into the canyon, much of it on petrified sand dunes |
 |
| Thus |
 |
| More interesting signage |
 |
| Ditto |
 |
Looking across the canyon at a 1920s "road" built for oil and
gas exploration |
 |
Finally, you're on the floor of the canyon, which is never more
than a hundred yards wide |
 |
In or just above the wash...the trail crossed the stream many
times, but the stream was never a problem |
 |
And then, half a mile or so up the canyon, you see the first
installation, the so-called Horseshoe Shelter |
 |
| Thus... |
