Richinbar Petroglyphs

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 2.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 3411 - 3495 feet
Cellphone: 3-5 bars
Time: 1 hr. 30 mins.
Trailhead: I - 17 Exit 252 +1.1
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs

The Richinbar Mine Petroglyphs are located in the Agua Fria National Monument northeast of Black Canyon City, Arizona. Found at the site, on a rocky point which overlooks the Agua Fria River, are several dozen images of deer, sheep, and a handful of anthropomorphs.

There is a rest stop on I-17 at Exit 252. The turnoff to the Richinbar Mine is about 1.1 miles north of that exit. A short road leads from the interstate to a locked gate where there is room enough for a car to turn around and park. If you are pulling a trailer you will want to consider dropping it near the rest stop or at Exit 256.

The road continues on the other side of the locked gate for a short distance to an old windmill and a couple of water tanks. Just past that there is a junction where Agua Fria Road 9005 branches off  on the left toward the Badger Spring Pueblo. Continue straight through this intersection.

At the 0.8 mile point from the gate there is another road that branches off on the right that leads to the Richinbar Mine Pueblo and Ruins Tank. The road actually forms a loop that travels all the way around the hill. Continue straight at this point to get to the Richinbar Mine Petroglyphs.

As the road continues it drops down onto a bench on the rim of the canyon where there is the foundation of an old miner's building. From there follow the route on the left that leads out onto a point that juts out into the canyon.

Within a few hundred feet the trail comes to an outcrop of boulders where there is a brown mylar marker with a reminder to help preserve Americas past and do nothing to cause any damage to the petroglyphs.

Walking around the boulder pile reveals image after image of deer and sheep.

A diminishing line of four sheep.

Four deer and possibly a suckling fawn.

Here is a panel that includes an anthropomorphic image on the upper right that might be a warrior holding a shield.

A male anthropomorph.

And a female.

As you can see from this photo there are images about everywhere you look.

The Richinbar Mine Petroglyphs show a lot of what was probably intended to be 'hunting magic'. While we were at the Agua Fria National Monument we saw deer and antelope browsing around the grassy mesas on several occasions. We also saw several other sites, such as Lookout Point, that had the same hunting magic theme. After seeing the Richinbar Mine Petroglyphs you will want to also check out the pueblo on top of the hill in the middle of the loop where there are a few more petroglyphs and Ruins Tank which is only about a quarter mile from the pueblo. If you would like to see them all for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.