Round Trip Distance: 0.2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 3996 - 4011 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Fish Springs Site III
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs
Fish Springs Site III is the third of four petroglyph sites that are located along the Tinemaha cutoff road that is about 7 miles south of Big Pine, California. Of the four sites Site III is the one with the most petroglyphs.
To get there from Big Pine head south on US-395 for 4.8 miles and turn right onto the Fish Springs Road. Continue for 2.1 miles and go right onto the Tinemaha Road cutoff. Continue for another 3 tenths of a mile and turn right onto a dirt 4wd road that is just past a short basalt hill. Immediately after turning off of the Tinemaha Road is the trailhead for Site III. This photo was taken at the spot where the 4wd road turns off on the right. A few hundred feet past the turnoff is an intersection with the main Tinemaha Road.
The petroglyphs are mostly along the base of the hill that is on the right hand side of the road. A few images can also be spotted a little higher up on the hill.
At the approach of the hill the images are easy to spot and seem to be on most every rock.
One of the first large boulders encountered has large panels of petroglyphs on two of its sides.
Here a honeycomb of images were created using the same basic shape.
Here are some made with wide lines and some with narrow lines as though the thickness of the line might alter, or supplement, the intended imagery.
We've seen kiosks at sites in other far off locations that describe the circle within a circle as an image that represents 'god'.
Also at other locations a crossed circle is known as a 'medicine wheel' where the cross represents the four cardinal directions, north,east, south and west.
If that were the case here then are these two juxtaposed images might each be one half of a medicine wheel where further meaning is intended by their separation?
This image is included to draw attention to the nearby red volcanic crater that is visible just above the left shoulder of the boulder. On Google Maps satellite view it has a nice round crater. Crater Mountain, aka Fish Springs Hill, is the higher eminence off to the left in the background. We are supposing that these basaltic outcrops here down lower are the remains of lava flows from the higher crater.
Most of the images of petroglyphs that are at Site III are included in the following slideshow. Site IV is only another 500 feet or so away. It also borders right upon the same 4wd road. The road is flat up to that point but as you can see in this photo there are a few bushes in the middle of the two tracks of the road. It is such a short distance that walking from here doesn't really add much to the difficulty. As far as Site III goes, if you would like to see it for yourself all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 3996 - 4011 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Fish Springs Site III
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs
Fish Springs Site III is the third of four petroglyph sites that are located along the Tinemaha cutoff road that is about 7 miles south of Big Pine, California. Of the four sites Site III is the one with the most petroglyphs.
To get there from Big Pine head south on US-395 for 4.8 miles and turn right onto the Fish Springs Road. Continue for 2.1 miles and go right onto the Tinemaha Road cutoff. Continue for another 3 tenths of a mile and turn right onto a dirt 4wd road that is just past a short basalt hill. Immediately after turning off of the Tinemaha Road is the trailhead for Site III. This photo was taken at the spot where the 4wd road turns off on the right. A few hundred feet past the turnoff is an intersection with the main Tinemaha Road.
The petroglyphs are mostly along the base of the hill that is on the right hand side of the road. A few images can also be spotted a little higher up on the hill.
At the approach of the hill the images are easy to spot and seem to be on most every rock.
One of the first large boulders encountered has large panels of petroglyphs on two of its sides.
Here a honeycomb of images were created using the same basic shape.
Here are some made with wide lines and some with narrow lines as though the thickness of the line might alter, or supplement, the intended imagery.
We've seen kiosks at sites in other far off locations that describe the circle within a circle as an image that represents 'god'.
Also at other locations a crossed circle is known as a 'medicine wheel' where the cross represents the four cardinal directions, north,east, south and west.
If that were the case here then are these two juxtaposed images might each be one half of a medicine wheel where further meaning is intended by their separation?
This image is included to draw attention to the nearby red volcanic crater that is visible just above the left shoulder of the boulder. On Google Maps satellite view it has a nice round crater. Crater Mountain, aka Fish Springs Hill, is the higher eminence off to the left in the background. We are supposing that these basaltic outcrops here down lower are the remains of lava flows from the higher crater.
