Sheep Shelter

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 5745 - 5787 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Sheep Shelter
Fee: $10/vehicle
Attractions: rock art

The Sheep Shelter is located in the Fremont Indian State Park west of Richfield, Utah. Found at the site is an observation point for the Blanket Pictograph Panel, a rock shelter with images of bighorn sheep on the roof and another high panel off to the side with some bighorn petroglyphs.

The trailhead is just under a mile and a half east of the Visitor Center on the Clear Creek Canyon Road.

As you start along the trail there is a short spur on the left that leads to the Blanket Pictograph viewpoint.

There is a touching story on the kiosk about a distraught Paiute mother that buried her baby nearby and created the pictograph of a blanket with which to keep itself warm.

The pictograph, which is on the south side of the interstate, is 16 feet long and 4 feet high.

There are a few other pictographs on the right of the same outcrop.

From the viewpoint the trail turns up a gentle slope to the base of the cliff.

The Sheep Shelter is gated off to prevent vandalism.

The petroglyphs were pecked into the ceiling of the rock shelter and can be easily viewed through the mirror that is mounted on the back wall of the cave. There are a few other faint petroglyphs on the walls.

From the Sheep Shelter look high up on the cliff to the left and you should be able to spot a few more petroglyphs.

Here there are a few more images of sheep similar to the ones in the cave.

The Sheep Shelter is only one of more than a dozen, or maybe a score, of other sites along the Clear Creek Canyon Road that are mostly easy to access. Most of the stops are petroglyph sites but there are also a few pictographs. There are enough to keep you busy for a day or two so you might consider taking advantage of the Sam Stowe Campground for an extended visit. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.