Cow Creek Petroglyphs

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 3 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 1938 - 2116 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 3 hrs.
Trailhead: 33.98408, -112.31723
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs

The Cow Creek Petroglyphs are located in the Lake Pleasant area north of Phoenix, Arizona. On a short hill overlooking the wash the petroglyphs can be found scattered about on some of the, both large and small, basalt boulders. Most of the 1.5 mile hike is pretty easy as the route follows an old 4WD road.

For turn-by-turn directions to the trailhead enter 33.98408, -112.31723 into your driving app. From wherever you start you should be directed toward Lake Pleasant. After turning off of AZ 74 onto the Castle Hot Spring Road continue for 8.6 miles and turn right onto the French Creek/Cow Creek Road. After following the Cow Creek Road for 4 miles there will be a 4WD road on the right. Hikers can park here and begin by following the 4WD Road.

Near the half mile point of the 4WD road there is a faint more primitive 4WD road that turns off on the left.

The road comes to an end when it reaches the Cow Creek wash where another wash joins it on the left. From that point find your way up the gently sloping hill between the 2 washes. The petroglyphs are on the hill to the left of the main wash.

The is probably the largest boulder that has petroglyphs.

It has lines that part of which might be a map, some sheep or deer images, and a few small anthropomorphic images.

While the meaning of the images is a little allusive most of them show up very well.

This is the back side of the same boulder. On the lower left you might notice a few small anthros with their arms raised as though perhaps herding the animals.

These are some of the images that are on a few of the smaller boulders. 

There seems to be no shortage of wild burros in the Lake Pleasant area. We saw them in the hills and along the road. Some seemed slightly skiddish but we did see people petting them.

Being our fist time to the site we approached it by hiking down a scenic little side wash from the Cow Creek Road. While that was the shorter and most direct route the return trip up the old 4WD road was much easier and faster. We had arrived at the site a little late in the day and didn't do as extensive a search for petroglyphs as the site warranted so we probably missed at least a few of them.

If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.