Boundary Island Petroglyphs
In a far-flung corner of Joshua Tree, there is an isolated boulder outcrop with a few dozen petroglyphs. The petroglyphs are generally abstract in design and could be of Serrano or Chemehuevi origin.
No Directions
These trips have no directions or GPS waypoints. Some are misnamed on purpose. Typically, someone has asked me not to share the location or real name.
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Sun Sword and Whale Rock Petroglyphs
With a tip from a friend, I went out searching for a remote set of petroglyphs in the backcountry wilderness of Joshua Tree National Park in early 2020. I had a few clues in my search. I was looking for petroglyphs that were near an old campsite and hidden on
Hunting Grounds Mill
Canebrake Skeleton Pictographs
Hidden in a granite rock shelter near an ancient Kumeyaay village site is a unique set of pictographs. Most of these pictographs are typical of the La Rumorosa Style, but what is unusual here are the skeleton figures. I have not seen them anywhere else in the Kumeyaay territory.
S & O Cabin
As is often the case, I know about a ton of places but never have the time to visit them. This backcountry cabin out in the Death Valley area falls into that category. In 2020, I finally had the chance to get out and search for it.
Palen Tank Petroglyphs
I recently followed an ancient Native American trail out to a water tank and petroglyph site. What got my attention to this site was the report of historical inscriptions and the fact that it is way off of other Native American trails I knew about.
Black Hands Pictographs
I found these solitary black pictographs hidden under a pile of granite boulders out at the northern end of Joshua Tree National Park. The pictographs here are very faded. A casual passerby wouldn’t even notice them. You have to know what you are looking for and stop a minute