Round Trip Distance: 0.26 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 6178 - 6296 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: 36.59777, -107.51579
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs
Located in the south branch of Encierro Canyon, southeast of Bloomfield, New Mexico, there is a small panel of petroglyphs on a bench about 120 feet above the valley floor. A few very old petroglyphs on the same panel are covered over with a newer coat of patina.
For turn-by-turn directions to the turnoff on CR 492 enter 36.59777, -107.51579 into your driving app. None of our driving apps know anything about this side road but the site is easy to find after getting to the turnoff.
From CR 492, in Carrizo Canyon, it is a third of a mile to where there is a well site on the right. Just past the well site there is plenty of room to pull off the road and park. The petroglyphs can be seen from this point on the cliff just over a tenth of a mile away with a pair of binoculars.
From the bottom of the hill pick whatever route appears the easiest to scramble up the talus slope.
The images themselves are relatively small. From the road even with binoculars its impossible to tell for sure what is there but as you reach the bottom of the hill you can see tantalizingly enough to draw you up the slope.
This is one of the more distinct figures. Off to the left is one of the fainter, older looking, images that we mentioned.
Here's a figure with big hands and big feet.
A couple of birds can be seen above what looks like a rising or setting sun.
The bench may have been a nice warm meditative place to relax during the cooler months of the year and inspired the creation of the petroglyphs at this site.
While in the side canyon we looked for other petroglyphs without finding any but there may still have been some as small as these that we could have missed.
If you would like to search for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.
