Follow This Mile-Long Trail In Utah To See Native American Artwork

Located on private property, the McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs lack the marketing support of other Utah attractions. Yet for those who hear about the Native American artwork and visit the site 10 miles north of the northeastern Utah town of Vernal, the visit is memorable. The up-close look at drawings from upwards of 1,000 years ago results in a worthwhile effort of hiking a trail that requires some climbing over rocks along the way.

The blue sky frames the sandstone canvas of the McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs.

The dirt trail can become snow-packed or muddy at times, but is accessible year-round.

Signs are helpful in pointing out some artwork far above the trail on the sandstone cliffs.

This hiker provides some perspective of the scale of the drawings.

Some of the artwork resembles a group photo, long before cameras were invented.

Most of the artwork depicts people, with some of the figures stretching to 9-feet tall.

The Fremont culture is believed to have inhabited Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Colorado until about 1200 A.D. Notice the oversized feet of the subject on the right.

Background information about the petroglyphs is available inside the shack where visitors can make donations.

The McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs are a Utah Historic Site.

Sometimes called the Dry Fork Canyon Petroglyphs, the attraction is supported by suggested donations of $5 per vehicle, collected by an honor system inside a shack near the start of the trail. The dirt trail is accessible year-round. A fun aspect of the out-and-back trail is approaching the artwork from the other direction on the return trip and seeing what you may have missed the first time. Some of the best material comes just before the turnaround point.