-->

Fish Creek Cove

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 7247 - 7260 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 3o mins.
Trailhead: Fish Creek Cove
Fee: none
Attractions: rock art




Fish Creek Cove is an extensive rock art site that is located a short distance south of Torrey, Utah. The site includes many impressive large red, with some white, Fremont style pictographs as well as scores of petroglyphs that include many spirals, concentric circles, bighorn sheep and large warrior or shaman figures decorated with horns, necklaces, diagonal lines across the torso and waist belts.


From the Information Center in Torrey head south on UT-12 for about 4.7 miles and turn right onto the Teasdale Road. After another 0.9 miles turn left onto the Fish Creek Cove Road. Continue for another 1.6 miles on public access through private property to the trailhead. All of the roads that turn off of the Fish Creek Cove Road will have little signs that say something similar to 'Private Drive' which makes it a lot easier to stay on the correct route. The Fish Creek Cove Road is normally passable by 2wd highway vehicles and holds up well to a little rain.


From the parking area the trail crosses a small wash and heads straight over to the white sandstone cliff with all of its rock art and graffiti.


As you approach the rock art there is a sign reminding visitors to respect the past. Off to the right there is an ammo box with some interesting information about the site.


Ignoring the many bullet holes there are yet a lot of details that are visible looking at these prehistoric Fremont images. Note the headband, sash, belt and an ever so faint necklace with 3 dangles.


What this image is of we would be really interested in knowing. 'Headless man' or 'Man standing behind a shield'???


There are a huge number of interesting petroglyphs all along the face of the cliff. Many of these are classic Fremont style warrior or shaman figures with horned headdresses, necklaces and trapezoidal shaped bodies.


The part of the panel that immediately catches most of the attention on approach is a line of large game animals that appear headless from a distance. Here again there are numerous petroglyphs mixed in with all the more obvious attention stealing pictographs. Some of the petroglyphs are overlaid by pictographs and some of the petroglyphs appear to have been highlighted with paint.


On the far right above the line of images is a single smaller form with what looks like a bird face.


A close look at one of the images below the 'birdman' that from a distance appears headless is what looks like a beak. Neither images have bird feet like those found at many other sites.


At the north end of the pole fence that is in front of the rock art there is a rock shelter alcove. In front of the rock shelter, and up against the pole fence there is a boulder with some deep grinding depressions and a few sharpening grooves. A little further to the north of that there are a few more petroglyphs and pictographs. Look closely at the photo above and you will see a couple more Fremont warriors with all the traditional markings.


Even further along the cliff is another such image with taller horns that looks like a combination of both petroglyph and pictographs.


The Fish Creek Cove site has a few unique images and many that are quite traditional. The site appears to have been revisited many times over the years as shown by the overlapping of images and the apparent evolution of the Fremont Style. The information in the ammo box mentions this as one of the 'most significant archaeological sites in the state of Utah. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.