We drove out to a remote section of Canyonlands National Park: Horseshoe Canyon. This section of the park was added to preserve the Rock Art located in Horseshoe Canyon. To see all 4 galleries, is a 7 mile round trip hike with a 780 ft descent into the canyon.
We saw several kinds of wildflowers, including these paintbrush, as we descended down to the canyon
view into the canyon
lovely rock formations along the trail
Before reaching the canyon floor, there is a gate with a sign, reminding hikers not to touch the rock art
Trail along the floor of Horseshoe Canyon
lovely canyon walls
Some of the many animal prints we saw in the sand. We saw a couple of harmless snakes, and lots of lizards
Several areas in the canyon were green and cool in the shade, here we are approaching High Gallery
rock art in High Gallery
There was some water flowing in the canyon today
rock art in Horseshoe Gallery
an area where ancient native Americans sharpened their tools
a snake petroglyph
continuing up the canyon
Rock art in Alcove Gallery, it was sad to see that this area had been vandalized over time.
we continued to hike further up the canyon
a fossilized 3 toe dinosaur print
an area with lots of purple asters in bloom
a volunteer park ranger showed us some chirt, which was used to make arrowheads
The Great Gallery
Part of the rock art in the Great Gallery
this pictograph is 10 ft tall
some views returning back down the canyon
one of the many lizards we saw along the trail today
views heading back up to the top of the canyon
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