Oatman Point North

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 492 - 503 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 45 mins.
Trailhead: 33.00251, -113.16034
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs

Oatman Point is located about 34 miles west of Gila, Bend, Arizona almost directly across the flood plane of the Gila River from the Hummingbird Point site. So far we have found 3 groupings, or separate areas, of petroglyphs at Oatman Point that we are labeling North, West, and South. This post is for a small group of panels at the North site.

To get there drive west on I-8 from Gila Bend for 28 miles and take Exit 87. Go north on the Agua Caliente Road for about 1.4 miles and turn right onto the Oatman Road. From here we are going to suggest a different route than that which we followed and that is to drive north on the South Oatman Road for 9 miles and then turn left before the road drops down off of the mesa. After turning left off of the Oatman Road continue for another 1.7 miles and park. At that point you should be able to find a trail that drops off of the mesa where you can begin hiking in search of petroglyphs.

What we did was continued north past that point to where the Oatman Road drops off of the mesa. Even though this is a county road it eventually comes to a locked gate. Before reaching the locked gate there is a very sandy route that leads around to the Oatman Family Grave Site. A few hundred yards past the grave site the road reaches a wash where you have to begin hiking.

This is the only spot that we could find where it was possible to get through the tangle of mesquite and other brush and across the wash.

On the south side of the wash there is a social trail that leads up onto the mesa where it would have been much better to park and begin the hike.

On the side of the hill above the trail leading up to the mesa there are several boulders with petroglyphs.

One of the larger boulders has a half dozen images that include this sheep or deer and a large hand.

There are also the images of several lizards and these stacked circles.

Going back down to the base of the hill different petroglyphs can be spotted on some of the other boulders as you hike to the west.

While most of the petroglyphs are down closer to the base of the hill this is one boulder that you have to scramble up the hill to get to.

Eventually the trail leads to a big washout where you can go no further.  It isn't very practical to to scramble around the washout. The mesquite and other brush in the wash is impenetrable so that isn't an option either. On the opposite side of the washout there is a trail visible coming off of the mesa and it is that route that we are suggesting for the time being until we can get back to prove it otherwise. All of the Oaman sites for which we had waypoints are on the west side of the washout whereas the ones in this post, which aren't much, came more as a surprise. If you would like to see them for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.