Shield Site

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.3 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 6037 - 6051 feet
Cellphone: 0-2 bars
Time: 20 mins.
Trailhead: Shield Site
Fee: none
Attractions: Petroglyphs

The Shield Site is stop #13 on the Rangely Rock Art Tour near Rangely, Colorado. There is only one petroglyph panel at the site that is of a couple of apparent shields. Half of one of the two shields is has been destroyed. It actually appears that someone may have been trying to remove the shields by chiseling around them and broke one of them in the process.

To get to the Shield Site you take the Dragon Road south out of Rangely to milepost 5.6. Turn east on County Road 100 and drive another 3 tenths of a mile to a gate. Go through the gate and drive less than a quarter mile to the trailhead.

The trail to the Shield Site passes through the fence and follows an old road.

Continue along the road for an easy hike of several hundred yards.

The Shield Site is on the right side of the trail. With this site being the first of four along the Dragon Road the kiosk gives a summary of the area and its early Fremont and Ute inhabitants.

The Shield Site is a tragic indictment not only of the misuse of firearms but the overall lack of reasoning skills that would lead any ne'er-do-well to such an act of vandalism.

A natural seep constitutes the only obvious sign of any water in the area.

The Shield Site is a prime example of how frustrating it can get at times when a total disregard for property and the countries heritage result in the destruction of what may have otherwise been a significant site. When an area is pilfered and vandalized there is little if any incentive for a trained professional to spend the time and resources to do the excavation work that would reveal to everyone the additional information and knowledge that would eventually lead to a more comprehensive understanding of past times and events in the history of the people and land. Ranting aside, the Shield Site is still worth the little extra time it takes to pay it a visit. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.