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Cross Canyon Petroglyphs

Rating: 
One-way Distance: 6.4 miles (mostly driving)
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 4959 - 5505 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Cross Canyon Road
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs




Cross Canyon crosses US-491 about 4 miles east of Dove Creek, Colorado where it runs southwest into Utah traveling through portions of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument along the way. This post covers 2 rock art sites that are on the Utah end of the canyon.


From Pleasant View, Colorado follow the signs toward the Lowry Pueblo for 5.45 miles and then turn left onto County Road 10 and head toward Hovenweep. About 7 tenths of a mile after crossing into Utah the Cross Canyon Road will be on the right. You can also simply enter 'Hovenweep National Monument Visitor Center' into your driving app and look for the turnoff about 2.75 miles before reaching Hovenweep. The Cross Canyon Road is signed with a white mylar marker labeled 2031.


Follow the normally well maintained Cross Canyon Road for about 8 tenths of a mile and you will pass a primitive camping area that is large enough for several large RV's overlooking the canyon. At that point the road descends steeply into the Cross Canyon drainage. After the road crosses a large wash turn right and continue following it up the canyon until you are about 3.6 miles from the Hovenweep Road.


Looking up on your left you should be able to easily spot a yellow boulder with petroglyphs and some graffiti.


The petroglyphs are easy enough to see in person but we outlined most, but not all, of them on the computer to help them stand out.


As you can see from this photo there isn't a place to pull off of the road at this site so the best you can do is get far enough over for others to pass. (Not that you are likely to see any other vehicles.)


From the first site continue for another 2.22 miles to where there is an occasionally used pullout on the left. Through the trees you should be able to once again easily spot some of the petroglyphs.


Two very similar large anthropomorphic images dominate the face of the cliff. We'll assume that since their hands are raised upwards that they represented someone living.


A fainter like image is found below.


There is also an image that looks something like a waffle garden with perhaps a few stalks of corn or something extending upwards.


With a little scrambling you can get up to a bench that is to the right of the images where you will find some lines pecked into an outcrop of sandstone with the addition of a moki step.

At the bottom of the scree leading up to the bench we noticed a few shards of pottery. The clay was very much the same color as the adobe where it lie. Be sure to leave all artifacts where you find them.


There might be other panels of petroglyphs along the Cross Canyon Road that we missed. We spotted these on our way to the McLean Basing Twin Towers. If you would like to see them for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.