According to the Journal of Archaeological Science, petroglyphs in the area near Winnemucca Lake in Nevada are possibly as old as 14,800 years, making them the oldest rock art found in North America. There are several spots in Nevada with ancient petroglyphs from previous Native American cultures but the set found at Winnemucca Lake is a stunning find for scientists.

The petroglyphs are located in a lake bed that has been dried up for a very long time. Although, at one point in time, the carvings were covered by water. Researchers believe they were covered by water for a period of time between 14,800 and 10,500 years ago.
Winnemucca Lake
Stuart Rankin/Flickr
In this aerial view of Pyramid Lake, you can see the Winnemucca Lake bed in the lower left corner. The petroglyphs lie near Pyramid Lake and are located on the Paiute Reservation lands.
The scientists used radiocarbon dating to determine the approximate age of the rock carvings. The carvings also have similarities with other carvings found in western Oregon and southeastern California.
Larry V. Benson, USGS/Wikimedia Commons
There are actually several spots in Nevada where you can see petroglyphs right on your hiking trail. Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area is located south of Las Vegas and has petroglyphs thought to be 4,000 years old. The area is over 48,000 acres and while motorized vehicles and mountain bikes are not allowed, hiking and horseback riding are acceptable. Horses are not allowed in the petroglyph area, however.
Sloan Canyon
Angela T./Yelp
The Petroglyph Canyon Trail is a fairly easy hike which is a total of 4.4 miles. If you usually hike with your pooch, dogs are not allowed here. The trailhead can be found by taking Democracy Drive in Anthem (Henderson) all the way up to the conservation area and making a left onto Nawghaw Poa Road where you will find the visitor station.
Sloan Canyon
Bureau of Land Management/Flickr
Another spot with incredible Nevada petroglyphs and some absolutely gorgeous hiking is Valley of Fire State Park. This is Nevada's oldest and biggest park and the petroglyphs are believed to be around 3,000 years old. The park is known for its incredible red rock formations and color varieties.
Valley of Fire
Daniel S./Yelp
There are several spots in the park you can see petroglyphs. If you take Scenic Loop Road, you'll pass Atlatl Rock, which has metal steps you can climb to access and view the art.
Valley of Fire
Alan Kotok/Flickr
Mouse's Tank is a hike where petroglyphs can be found along the walls of the aptly named Petroglyph Canyon. The hike is a little under a mile and suitable for all ages and for beginners. The park is open all year round but bear in mind it's extremely hot in the summer.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is just outside of Las Vegas (15 miles) and has some exquisite desert hiking and recreational opportunities.
Red Rock Canyon
SunshineFL221/TripAdvisor
There are several places to see rock art in Red Rock Canyon but one of the easiest is the Petroglyph Wall Trail, which is more of a short walk than a hike. Park at the Willow Springs Picnic Area and walk over to the cliffs to view the art.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Ken Lund/Flickr
Another area in Red Rock is Calico Basin, which has examples of petroglyphs along a wooden boardwalk. The rock art is found on boulders along the cliffs outside the boardwalk so keep your eye peeled for them. Calico Basin itself has some lovely hiking trails and is a great picnic spot. The entrance is located just outside of the Red Rock National Conservation Area and, therefore, there's no day-use fee.
Grimes Point Archaeological Area is a National Recreation Trail that has petroglyphs thought to be about 6,000 years old. Grimes Point is located 12 miles east of Fallon off the US-50.
Grimes Point Archaeological Area
Stuart Y./TripAdvisor
The rock art at Grimes is quite easy to see since most of it is on large boulders laying along the ground, of which there are about 150. The boulders are lined along a trail you can follow, which has many helpful interpretative signs explaining the meaning of the artwork and the history of the area.
Grimes Point Archaeological Area
greatlettuce/Flickr
Weepah Spring Wilderness is located in Lincoln and Nye counties and consists of 51,480 acres. The rock art here can be found in the White River Narrows Archaeological District.
Weepah Spring Wilderness
US BLM - US Bureau of Land Management/Wikimedia Commons
The White River Narrows Archaeological District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has some of the biggest groupings of petroglyphs in the state. The area is about three hours from Las Vegas via car.
White River Narrows Archaeological District.
Ken Lund/Flickr
The art here is plentiful and can be easily seen as you walk between the canyon walls in White River Narrows. Another area, the Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area, about 20 miles away, has several petroglyph spots as well. You can easily make a weekend trip out of visiting all of the rock art in this scenic area.

What do you think of seeing ancient art so easily in the natural beauty of Nevada? Where are some of your favorite places to view Nevada petroglyphs? Share your rock art experiences in the comments! You can also learn more about the Nevada petroglyphs near Winnemucca Lake in the Journal of Archeological Science.

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Winnemucca Lake, Nevada 89424, USA