Golf Course Rock Art

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 500 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 4647 - 4654 feet
Cellphone: 3-5 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Westwater/E. Matterhorn Heights
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs

The Golf Course Rock Art site is located off of Westwater Road in Moab, Utah. The site contains petroglyph panels from the Anasazi and Fremont cultures between 1 AD - 1275 AD. This is also the site where the prominent image known as 'Moab Man' is located.

To get to the site drive south out of Moab on Highway 191 and turn east onto the Spanish Trail Road leading to the golf course. Follow the Spanish Trail Road for about 1 mile to a traffic circle. Continue straight through the traffic circle onto Westwater Drive. There will be a parking area on the left after another half mile.

The petroglyphs are scattered along the face of the large sandstone outcrop.

Sadly the lower section of the rock has broken off leaving one to wonder about the treasure of images that are now lost forever. The large image on the left in this photo is known locally as 'Moab Man'. The image has been reproduced in various art forms including some necklaces and such.

Here is the same photo that was traced on a computer where we could zoom in and see details that weren't as noticeable while at the site.

Dangly earrings must have been all the rage back in the day.

Here is another interesting image.

The Golf Course Rock Art site is one of a half dozen sites that are listed on the Moab Rock Art Tour which are just a few of the scores of other sites in the area. Many of the other sites require much longer hikes whereas those listed on the tour require little to no hiking at all. The next time you are in Moab you might want to add them to your list of things to do. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.