Top 10 Spots to Peep The Best Southwestern Petroglyphs

Known for its distinctive red rock landscapes, arid climate, and stunning vistas, the Southwest is home to a buffet of iconic sights and spots to explore. But there’s more to the region than sunshine and devastatingly beautiful landscapes—the Southwest has been home to a plethora of populations spanning back to as far as the year 500, and they all left their mark…literally.

For explorers and archeologists young and old, the Southwest offers more than just dramatic views and photo ops. Some of the most impressive petroglyph sites in the United States are located in the southwest, offering a peek back in time and sharing the unique cultures of the many different groups that populated the region throughout its long history.

In this post, we’ll share 10 of the best spots to see southwestern petroglyphs, including:

1. Homolovi State Park
2. Petrified Forest National Park
3. Saguaro National Park Petroglyphs
4. Canyon de Chelly National Monument
5. Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
6. Mesa Verde National Park
7. Chaco Culture National Historical Park
8. La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site
9. Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
10. Hueco Tanks State Park

But before we jump into the best southwestern petroglyph sites in the United States, let’s take a moment to understand what petroglyphs actually are.

Petroglyphs and pictographs are two types of rock art. Both describe images that are inscribed on rock, but they are created using different methods:

1. Petroglyphs are carved, engraved, or scratched onto an exposed rock surface.
2. Pictographs are painted onto rock.

Petroglyphs are more common than pictographs, in large part because of the permanence of their method—paint fades (especially when exposed to sunlight, wind, and rain) and it simply takes much longer for engravings to erode away.

The best way to reach many of the spots on our list is by car, so to help plan your petroglyph-peeping road trip, we’ve organized these ten southwestern petroglyph spots according to their distance from Las Vegas. For the keenest among us, it’s absolutely possible to visit several southwestern petroglyph sites on a single road trip, and even combine your trip with a stop at the Grand Canyon.

Let’s jump in.

Located near Winslow, AZ (of Eagles fame), Homolovi State Park is home to over 300 Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites created by the Hopi people between 1200 and 1400 CE.

This cluster of southwestern petroglyphs includes seven separate Puebloan ruins built by various prehistoric societies. Two are open to visitors. Homolovi II is the largest and most thoroughly excavated site, with a sidewalk and interpretive signs, as well as numerous petroglyphs to view along certain sections of the nearby Tsu’vo Trail.

You’ll pass through Flagstaff, AZ on your way to Homolovi State Park from Las Vegas, so if you want to see the Grand Canyon, this is a great spot to break your journey, whether you only explore for a few hours or you stay overnight.

Petrified Forest National Park is one of the most abundant petroglyph sites in the United States, with over 1,000 archeological sites dating back to 1300-1600 CE.

Puerco Pueblo is the largest known archeological site in the park, with over 800 petroglyphs carved into more than 100 boulders. Newspaper Rock is the next most well-known, with over 650 petroglyphs covering a group of rock faces in the same area. There is a catwalk and overview for viewing, with free spotting scopes if you want a closer view.

Like Homolovi State Park (and just about every southwestern petroglyph site on this list), you’ll pass through Flagstaff on your journey to Petrified Forest National Park from Las Vegas. While you’re in the area, we recommend you take a quick detour to the Grand Canyon.

Located in southern Arizona, Saguaro National Park is home to more than 1,000 petroglyphs created by the Hohokam people between 500 and 1450 CE. The etchings can be primarily viewed along the Signal Hill Trail in the Tucson Mountain District—you can see over 200 carvings on this 0.5 mile round trip hike alone.

If you want to make a stop at the Grand Canyon on your way to or from Vegas, prepare to add about 90 minutes / 100 miles to your journey. We recommend breaking your trip into two journeys and spending a night or two in Flagstaff or Sedona, which both offer easy access to the Grand Canyon, before continuing on.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument has over 2,700 archeological sites created by the Anasazi and Navajo, including several petroglyphs that can be viewed at various sites throughout the park. Spring Canyon and Standing Cow Cabin are some of the most popular petroglyph peeping spots.

Whether you’re traveling to or from Vegas, your route will take you past Kingman (a Route 66 hot spot) and Flagstaff. If you want to add a stop at the Grand Canyon to your journey, Flagstaff is a great place to break your trip, whether you stop for a picnic lunch and a short Grand Canyon detour, or you stop for the night to explore a bit longer.

Not to be confused with Newspaper Rock at Petrified Forest National Park, this Newspaper Rock is located in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park in Utah. It’s one of the largest known collections of petroglyphs, featuring over 650 rock art designs created by the Ancestral Puebloan, Fremont, and Ute people on a single 200 square foot boulder.

If you’re up for a longer journey on the road to or from Vegas, you can detour north through Page, or south through Kingman and Flagstaff. Both options offer fairly easy access to the Grand Canyon. If you go north through Page, check out Horseshoe Canyon and the Desert View Drive portion of the South Rim National Park. If you head south through Flagstaff, you can easily access the Grand Canyon Village and explore from there.

Located in Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is home to over 30 petroglyphs created by the Ancestral Puebloan people between 1200 and 1300 AD. The Petroglyph Point Trail will take you past a large panel of petroglyphs about 1.5 miles south of the trailhead (just over halfway through the loop trail), but be wary—the trail is moderately strenuous with some scrambles and steep drops, and you must register at the trailhead or museum before departing.

There are two ways to get to Mesa Verde National Park from Vegas (or to Vegas from Mesa Verde). You can head northeast and pass through Page, in which case we highly recommend a stop at Horseshoe Bend, or you can head southeast and pass through Flagstaff. Both spots are easy Grand Canyon access points if you want to make a stop along your drive.

Located in New Mexico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park is home to one of the largest petroglyph sites in the United States, including a concentration of fifteen major pueblo complexes that held the title of “largest buildings ever built in North America” until the 19th century.

The site features over 2,300 petroglyphs created by the Ancestral Puebloan people between 850 and 1250 CE. Some petroglyphs are said to be evidence of archaeoastronomy, including the famous “Sun Dagger” petroglyph at Fajada Butte. Fajada Butte is closed to the public, but Petroglyph Trail offers views of petroglyphs and is open to the public.

If you want to add a stop at the Grand Canyon or you’re looking for a place to break your journey, you’ll pass through Flagstaff on the way to or from Las Vegas.

Located in New Mexico, La Cieneguilla Petroglyphs is home to hundreds of carvings, most of which are attributable to the Keresan-speaking Puebloan people that lived in the area between the 13th and 17th centuries. The La Cieneguilla Petroglyphs area is particularly known for its great number of bird figures and images of hump-backed flute players (called Kokopelli).

Like many of the sites on this list, you’ll pass through Flagstaff on your way to or from Las Vegas. On a journey this long, we recommend staying overnight in Flagstaff and making a trip to the Grand Canyon while you’re there.

The number and concentration of petroglyphs at Three Rivers Petroglyph site make this one of the largest and most interesting petroglyph sites in the United States. In fact, it’s one of the few locations in the southwest that is protected simply because of its rock art.

Located in New Mexico, Three Rivers is home to over 21,000 southwestern petroglyphs attributed to the Jornada Mogollon people, dating back to between 900 and 1400 CE. When you visit, you’ll see etchings of masks, sunbursts, wildlife, handprints, and geometric designs.

The petroglyphs can be viewed along the rugged half-mile Petroglyph Trail, which begins at the visitor center, as well as the Village Trail, which begins on the east side of the picnic area and leads to a partially excavated prehistoric village.

Since this is a rather long drive to or from Las Vegas, we suggest stopping overnight at the Grand Canyon on your way. You’ll pass through Flagstaff and Sedona—both ideal spots for exploring the Grand Canyon.

Located in Texas, Hueco Tanks State Park is home to over 2,000 southwestern petroglyphs created by the Jornada Mogollon people between 1000 and 1400 AD.

Access to the park is restricted to preserve the ruins and archeological sites. Only 70 people can enter the self-guided area at any one time, and it’s common for the park to reach this limit from November to March and on weekends and holidays. Save your spot by reserving a permit for up to four people including yourself ahead of your visit.

If you want a bit more of an interpretive experience or you can’t get a permit, you can also access Hueco Tanks on a guided tour. Petroglyphs can be spotted in both the self-guided areas and on guided tours.

The most direct route to Hueco Tanks from Vegas is through Phoenix, but you can also detour through Flagstaff if you want to stop at the Grand Canyon. The Flagstaff/Grand Canyon detour adds about half an hour to your total drive time.

If you’re a history buff or aspiring archeologist, the southwest is ripe with opportunities to explore the ancient and historical cultures that populated the area. If you’re looking for prime spots to peep southwestern petroglyphs near to or within a day’s drive of Las Vegas, check out these spots:

1. Homolovi State Park
2. Petrified Forest National Park
3. Saguaro National Park Petroglyphs
4. Canyon de Chelly National Monument
5. Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
6. Mesa Verde National Park
7. Chaco Culture National Historical Park
8. La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Site
9. Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
10. Hueco Tanks State Park