Round Trip Distance: 0.2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 2005 - 2024 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Mouse's Tank Picnic Area
Fee: $10/vehicle
Attractions: petroglyphs
The Mouse's Tank Picnic area is located along the White Domes Road in the Valley of Fire State Park near Overton, Nevada. The site, which has scores of petroglyphs, sits at the mouth of Petroglyph Canyon where there are hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of additional petroglyphs. This group of petroglyphs near the picnic area are probably the easiest to access in the park as all they require is a short stroll to view close up and no stairs to climb like Atlatl Rock.
Mouse's Tank is right at a mile from the Visitor Center on the White Domes Road. The Mouse's Tank trailhead is on the right while the picnic area is few hundred feet further on the left. If you have plans to hike through Petroglyph Canyon to Mouse's Tank you can park at that trailhead and just cross the road to see the petroglyphs at the picnic area.
Near the restroom at the picnic area there is an unmarked social trail that leads toward the cliffs on the right.
Petroglyphs can be found on pretty much every flat surface of rock.
Among the many images is this large bird like figure with a group of circles at its feet that bring to mind a nest of eggs.
What might be images showing various phases of the moon.
A group of anthropomorphic images, possibly of a family, bordered by a pair of concentric circles images. The bear paw on the lower left might be a clan symbol.
Some of these images have a little less patina making them appear newer than others on the same panel.
Several of the panels have large constructs of geometric patterns that are mostly faded. We outlined most of the images of this panel on the computer to make them stand out. Please remember that it is illegal to chalk images or to damage them in any other way.
It is a good 400 feet from the first panel of images to the last with little or no break in between.
