Round Trip Distance: 0.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 6638 - 6691 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 45 mins.
Trailhead: 34.38052, -110.63679
Fee: none
Attractions: rock shelter, pictographs
Located in Black Canyon near Heber, Arizona, in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, is a large scenic overhang that provides protection for a large rock shelter that dates back about 900 years ago.
To get there from Heber, follow the Black Canyon Road for 4.7 miles to stop #3 of the Auto Tour. For turn-by-turn directions you can enter 34.38052, -110.63679 into your driving app.
From the trailhead the route follows an old double track through a thin forest of tall slender pines. Blue diamonds on some of the trees mark the route of a cross country ski trail.
At the 0.2 mile point from the trailhead watch for a trail that branches off on the left that leads up to the rock shelter. The first part of the side trail is lined with a few small branches.
The side trail angles up the side of the hill on a mostly gentle slope.
At one time the large rock shelter may have been divided into several smaller rooms.
Traces of soot on the ceiling show under which part of the rock shelter the ancient inhabitants made their fire.
To the left and right of the a dark streak on the ceiling of the rock shelter are a few very distinguishable pictographs for which some odd reason we didn't take any close up photos. The pictograph on the top right is the lizard-man that is mentioned on the kiosk at the trailhead. Even in this photo is shows up pretty well. Below the lizard-man is a painted hand.
A peaceful ambiance in the rock shelter suggests that it was a pleasant spot to inhabit.
