Round Trip Distance: 0.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 5992 - 6020 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Owl Panel
Fee: none
Attractions: Petroglyphs
The Owl Panel is located in the Nine Mile Canyon Area northeast of Wellington, Utah. The panel has one large owl and two smaller owls that two of which are in very good condition. Besides the owls there are a handful of other very interesting images. A few other petroglyphs are scattered around a fenced off area that may have been s shelter of sorts. Another panel a few feet way also has some very interesting images that are worth taking the time to see.
If you are coming from Wellington the First Site is at mile marker 26.2. The Owl Panel is 8.4 miles past that or near what would be mile marker 34.6.
The parking area is at a turnaround that is a couple hundred feet from the pavement. From there the Owl Panel is another one hundred yards or so on the opposite side of the canyon.
An easy to follow trail with brown carsonite markers leads directly to the panel.
There is a lot to see at the Owl Panel. The largest Owl image partially distracts attention from all the rest. Below and to the right of the big owl is a smaller owl with another smaller owl off to the side on the left that isn't in this photo.
One peculiarity of the owl, which was made with quite a bit of detail, are two differently depicted eyes. Both of the eyes are the same for the smaller ow.
Of all the bear track petroglyphs we've seen this one brings to mind a 'grizzly bear' more than any of the others.
This seems to convey that the man, who seems to be sweating profusely, impregnated the armless looking woman who then became large with child, depicted by the image all the way on the left, and then gave birth.
The large owl and the one horned figure to the right appear to have been made at the same time, or at least, while part of the wing and the one horned figure overlap, neither seems to cover up any previously made parts of the other. To the right of the one horned figure there is what looks like a circle of 3 or 4 human like figures that appear to be dancing.
Another interesting panel can be found on around the cliff to the left of the Owl Panel. Notice the two serpentine lines with bighorn type heads going in opposite directions.
This figure that is carrying a target or shield has a body drawn like an intestinal track. His feet that are solid circles give the idea that he was neither going or coming but standing fast or unmovable in battle. The figure lying prone probably represents someone that died either by the firsts' hands or those of another.
